29 March 2011

A brief on the ‘Public Policy Dialogue on Mining, Communities, and Workers’ Conference funded by the Foundation for Human Rights

 The Bafokeng Land Buyers Association (BLBA) made a presentation on the struggles waged by communities forming the Bafokeng ‘tribe’ at the conference funded by the Foundation for Human Rights, held in Johannesburg on the 01-02 February 2011.  -reflects Thusi Rapoo.
The Conference was attended by community-based organisations from around the country engaged in vicious battles against mining companies operating in their areas. Academic papers were presented by experts on acid mine drainage that destroys ecosystems and water quality particularly in areas around gold mining towns; the cluttered State heritage resource management regime which condones the bombing and excavation of graves by the mining companies; and the State’s land restitution and reform process which has failed to redress the land question. The presenters painted a picture of State engineered maladministration, meant to confuse and deprive desperate poor rural communities of access to Government support around issues related to their land. Conflicting and overlapping Government mandates create a state of confusion which the mines can exploit and use to their advantage. For instance, when Anglo Platinum blew the graves of Sekuruwe community in Limpopo their defence was that once they have complied with mining laws overseen by the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), they need not account to the National Heritage Resource Council who have jurisdiction on the protection of graves. The uninformed poor rural communities would be left to guess as to which Government department to approach for intervention.
Local Municipalities, who bear the brunt of bad mining practices, cannot hold the mines to account as they are often told that mining is a National competency, meaning therefore that the mines are only answerable to the national DME, and not the Municipalities.
In 1992, the World Bank released a policy framework to guide the new South African government on land and minerals. It has become clear that all the administrative confusion created around issues related to land ownership and control is deliberate, promoted and supported to empower multinational companies in their exploitation of resources (minerals and environment) and is done to the detriment and disempowerment of the affected land owners. At worst, such control of strategic resources (land and minerals) by a few elite at National level can be used by the West, through their agents (the World Bank, IMF and their imperialist multinational mining and agricultural companies) to ferment ethnic  clashes within the ruling party and amongst communities.

23 March 2011

LERUO MOLOTLEGI AND HENNIE KEMP ACCUSED OF STRIPPING MAKGOTLA OF THEIR POWERS AND CONTROL OVER LAND

 A number of chiefs and headmen of communities forming the Bafokeng ‘tribe’ are challenging chief Leruo Molotlegi’s quest for the control of communities’ land.
In 2008, the Royal Bafokeng Administration (RBA), under chief Leruo Molotlegi’s command, sought to close shops owned by community members in Luka and Chaneng villages. Some of the shops were hired out to some Chinese nationals. Chief Rammereki Mekgwe of Baphiring in Luka village and other headmen lodged a Court interdict in the Mafikeng High Court to stop the Bafokeng chief from  closing their shops. They claim in their affidavits that it is traditionally the community council (kgotla), the land owners, who allocates land to community members for residence or business purposes. It is only then, after such allocation, that the beneficiary will then approach the RBA, with a letter of authorisation from the kgotla, for RBA to install services such as fencing, water, roads and electricity. ‘That has been the traditional practice’, they claim. ‘RBA’s role is to provide those administrative services and utilities’.
‘RBA wants to control our land by issuing residential and business stands, we will be surprised one day to see a number of people coming in our villages claiming that they have been given stands at RBA by Hennie Kemp’, Chief Rammereki Mekgwe warned.
Interestingly, the matter is on a separate court roll from the other contested case with similar facts, where the Royal Bafokeng Nation are claiming ownership of some 61 farms.
The hearing was on the 17th March 2011 postponed to May 2011.

22 March 2011

AGAINST POPULAR SUPPORT, CHIEF LERUO MOLOTLEGI OPENS UP LEBONE II HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE FEW RICH

Not too long ago, the Royal Bafokeng tribal authority boasted an opening of a six star hotel to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup English soccer team. The R300m hotel built in a mine polluted area and for the wealthy few, stands unsurprisingly empty, costing the Bafokeng heavily on maintenance fees.
Bent on the development of a Bafokeng class society based on misinformation and material possession, chief Leruo Molotlegi of the Bafokeng ‘tribe’ opened new school buildings for the elite Bafokeng’s Lebone II High School. The extravagant opening ceremony, held on the 17th March 2011 was attended by celebrities, wannabies and the’ who is who’ in South Africa.
The school, originally located opposite the chief’s homestead, Legato, was established by chief Leruo Molotlogi’s predecessor, Mollwane Lebone Molotlegi back in 1997.
The expensive school fees of R3500 – R4000 per month, and the arbitrary, strict admission and screening criteria has created a perception within the poor Bafokeng communities that the school is built exclusively for the affluent families within the Bafokeng. It is further believed that the school is for those who are close to and pays more political allegiance to the royal family.
Some believe that the school is used by the Royal Bafokeng Administration’s research  department, led by Professor Sue Cook and Adolph Zietsman, to further a clandestine indoctrination programe that seeks to distort information about the history of the Bafokeng. The grand-plan is to create a deceitful picture of a progressive, successful African ‘tribe’; to hide the platinum theft taking place in the area; and to create a Bafokeng society and a cadre of young troopers who are oblivious to the current hardships experienced by the broader Bafokeng communities at the whim of the mining companies (Impala Platinum mines, Anglo Platinum, Xstrata, Wesizwe Platinum, Royal Bafokeng Platinum) operating in the area. The children at the school are therefore raised, it is argued, to be praise singers to the chief, and taught not to question the human rights abuses and socio-economic injustices caused by the ruthless mining companies and their puppet tribal authority.

08 March 2011

The Chaneng activists’ case postponed

The unfortunate case of the Chaneng activists who were wrongly arrested on account of formenting public violence has been postponed four times already due to the state’s inability to provide evidence against the activists.
The case was first heard on 10th November 2010 and got postponed to the 14th January 2011 on account that the activists did not have legal representation. It was then postponed to the 14th February 2011 on account that the state did not have evidence. Again on the 14th February it got postponed to the 25th February 2011, and then 07th March 2011. From the 07th March 2011 it was again postponed to the 26th May 2011 for trial. The delay is as a result of the States’ inability to bring evidence before the court.
The arrests happened after the Chaneng community’s march demonstration against against repressive practices by the State, the Bafokeng tribal chief, the judiciary, the Municipality and the mines (Anglo Platinum, Royal Bafokeng Platinum, Xstrata and Impala) operating in their area. The catalyst to the march was the the brutal demolition of tuckshops in their village ordered by the Royal Bafokeng Nation’s chief. The community is itself part of the Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN). The community is against the Royal Bafokeng Platinum’s new Styldrift Mine Project which the community says is not only unlawful but will also bring hardships to the community. The community claim that the project has not provided jobs; has taken agricultural land; will bring foreign mine labour into the community that will disturb their peace and alter their cultural norms; will erect rock and slime dumps next to the community; and that the community will be without residential land in the next ten or so years.

Postponement on the filing of answering papers in the Mafikeng High Court

The communities challenging the Royal Bafokeng Nation’s high court application to have a number of farms transferred and registered in the latter’s name have again been granted a month’s extension until the end of March 2011 to file their answering papers.