On the 17th May 2013, the Bafokeng Land Buyers’
Association and the communities of Motlhabe (Bakgatla), Ledig (Bakubung),
Chaneng, Luka, Lefaragatlha, and Thekwana made a second round of presentations
before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Petitions and Private Members’
Legislative Proposals.
Community members
raised a concern about the neutrality of the venue, saying many of them have
never set foot at the plush Royal Marang hotel before, that since the hotel is ‘Royal’
it is commonly seen as a guesthouse of the Royal Family, and that the hotel is
full of the Royal Families’ spy cameras deployed to identify and victimize community
members later. After much deliberation, the Committee members assured
communities of their safety, that they were not bought off by the Bafokeng, and
that in the democratic South Africa, everyone must be free to go wherever one
pleases within the confines of the law, and that as Government, no one will
intimidate them. Some members intimated that during struggle times, they organized
meetings right in Phokeng to fight the apartheid government.
Mr Gash Nape could not hold back his tears when he related
the undue hardships and human rights abuses that he and the Thekwana community
have been subjected to at the hands of the Bafokeng and the mines in the
democratic South Africa. He said the only land that the Bafokeng clan of Kgosi
Mokgatle (current chief’s forefather) has, is the one donated to them by Paul
Kruger (referring to Beerfontein). He lamented on how the Bafokeng misuses
tribal money (communities’ monies) to fight against the Thekwana community and
others.
Mr Ernest Setuke and the community of Lefaragatlhe reiterated
on how the chief applies divide and rule tactics to create hostilities in the
Lefaragatlhe village. The chief was accused of distorting Lefaragatlhe traditional
system by imposing a headman on the community. The illegitimate headman is seen
as a lacky strategically placed to sign off mining deals in favour of Leruo
Molotlegi. Mr Obed Mokgatle was angered by how people like Cyril Ramaphosa, who
served with him as NUM leaders at Impala mines, and the ANC government, have
openly neglected and turned a blind eye to the oppressed Bafokeng communities. It
was further submitted that in Bafokeng traditions, the Bafokeng chief was said
to be unfit to hold office as he was still a bachelor. It is alleged his mother
interferes on tribal affairs and is against him marrying as she will lose the ‘queen
mother’ title.
Chief Mmuthi Pilane of Motlhabe fired on how Government continue
to extend favours and protection to apartheid imposed chiefs. He described on how
the North West Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims (NWCTLDC)
has recently heard the wrongful recognition and misrepresentation of Nyalala
Pilane as the rightful chief of Bakgatla. He lamented on how Nyalala despite
having been accused of fraud and maladministration, continue to sign mining
deals on land that belongs to Motlhabe village. He accused the NWCTLDC of dragging
in finalizing his claim for chieftainship, that they deliberately distorted the
claim to be that of headmanship instead of chieftainship. Bakgatla warned that
if the Committee and Government are not keen on the speedy resolution of the communities’
legitimate claims, that the only option left to them would be to take up arms.
They pleaded with the Committee to address the issues before it was too late.
Mr Lucas Mekgwe of Baphiring and Mr Enias Motene of Chaneng described
how their communities were forced by the colonial apartheid regimes to
subscribe to the Bafokeng chief (Mokgatle) or face slave hardships in boer
farms. Baphiring follow a spotted hyena as their totem, while Chaneng village
has Ndebele clans whose totem is an elephant. Their claims for land and cultural
recognition has been trampled on by both the mines and government institutions,
and the chief continue to impose headmen on their communities.
Mr Ignatious Monnakgotla of Bakubung also condemned the
mines for reneging on their social labour plans. He said the Bakubung community
is mainly affected by Wesizwe Mine whose mine operations continue to create
socio-economic ills in the area. The mine claim in its reports to be supplying
the Bakubung communities with portable water when it is not the case. That where there is
supply, it would be dirty water.
The crosscutting issues among all these communities, as Noko
puts it, is how the Department of Water Affairs allow the mines to operate in the
areas without water licenses and how these mines have pillaged the environment
without reprimand. He urged the Committee to take drastic measures in the
preservation of water in the area, and warned that underground water pollution
and dewatering by the mines was catastrophic.
Once again, the communities urged Parliament to freeze the
Bafokeng finances and to place the Bafokeng under administration. This so as to
facilitate unfettered investigation of the Bafokeng affairs, including its
financial mismanagement. The Committee was quizzed on why it is that the
Bafokeng is known to be rich, with its chief flying in helicopters and staying
in Sandton, when there are many recipients of RDP houses, and bad roads in the Bafokeng.
It was submitted that the covert military operations in rural host mining communities have been documented by the Human Rights
Commission when it submitted a report in around 2008. This was after the State
police in Limpopo opened fire on communities’ protest against the blasting of
their graveyards by Anglo Platinum. BLBA warned about these operations
in their 2008 petition to Parliament. The nature of this security apparatus
to be made up of the State police, the tribal police, the mine security
companies and the Potchefstroom based Special Task Force or Public Order
Police. That their mandate is to suppress dissent by mining communities against
the mines and the oppressive state. And this done by declaring a pseudo state
of emergency, denying communities their right to protest, arrests and concocted
charges of public violence.
The Chairperson, Honorable Nyambi, noted the burning issues to be around the slow
land restitution process, claims about chieftainship, security threats, maladministration
and the demand for the appointment of an Administrator over the Bafokeng
affairs. The Committee indicated that it will follow up with relevant
authorities and that the next meeting will be giving a feedback report. Where a
need arises for further information, individuals will be approached.
