More demolitions and hardships for Chaneng and Robega villagers at the whim of the Bafokeng chief!

In the past week ending 10th October 2010, the communities of Chaneng and Robega, two adjacent rural villages that forms the Bafokeng 'tribe' and a stone-throw away from Sun City, chased away the Bafokeng Security company led by the  former apartheid operative Adolph Zietsman out of the village. The notorious Red Ants (a company or group of people wearing red overalls, specifically hired for demolishing houses and evicting the poor) brought in by the repressive Bafokeng Tribal Authority also faced the wrath of the angry, poor villagers. The Red Ants, who were camped next to the village, were warned to vacate their camp or be forced out. They duly obliged and vacated the camp. The community barricated the roads and stopped work at the local Anglo Platinum Styldrift Mine Project.

At a community meeting to adress the illegal evictions and demolitions of their houses by the repressive Bafokeng Tribal Authority, the police shot at community members and  arrested eight community members. The arrested were handpicked from their houses long after the gathering had dispersed. The eight were released from the Phokeng Police station at a collective R1500 bail. They are scheduled to appear in Court on the 10th November 2010 apparently on charges of public violence.

The community has again been denied, for the third time, their right to protest under similar unlawful reasons advanced to the adjacent Luka Community, that they should first get permission to protest from the very same people they are protesting against! It is believed that Adolph Zietsman, head of security of the Bafokeng Tribal Authority, has wide, well sponsored anarchist influence on the local police stations, the Municipal police, and on the chief himself!

A number of Bafokeng communites, including Chaneng and Robega have lodged claims for title to their platinum rich lands at the Mafikeng High Court. A number of them insists on cessation from the repressive Bafokeng Tribal bantustan. Follow this link for more reporting: uproar-over-demolishing-of-houses