DEMOLITION OF MBONDZELA HOMES WAS WRONG - MINISTER

MBABANE – The Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Prince Lonkhokhela, says the demolition of homes at the controversial Mbondzela Farm was erroneous and not sanctioned by any court order.

He was also of the view that the manner in which the demolition was executed, was inhumane in that families of the evictees were in the houses, in the still of the night. The minister said this after hearing both sides of the farm squabble that has been polarised by sporadic acts of violence and political tension at the farm situated near the Gege Border Post, in the Shiselweni Region.

Injured

One person has died and two were seriously injured as the tension escalated over the past three weeks. He issued an order stopping all demolition of houses forthwith, pending a resolution of the impasse. Prince Lonkhokhela toured the violence-stricken farm in the company of the Minister of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, regional administration officers, regional tribunal council, regional police chiefs, the affected families and the farm owner’s lawyer. He said his observations were merely based on what he had seen and heard during the tour and should not be construed as a final verdict in the eviction and demolition fiasco.

Faulted

The prince further said information he gathered on the ground also proved that the families that settled on the farm could also be faulted for their part in instigating the violence. He then said an independent committee had been sanctioned by Cabinet to investigate the eviction and demolition after hearing contentions from all involved. His intervention in the matter follows that of his predecessor, the late Peter Bhembe, who tried to intervene to resolve the squabble. Prince Lonkhokhela said the intervention by Cabinet was inspired by His Majesty King Mswati III’s calls for peaceful resolutions and the need to apply speed “Nkwe” when responding to all situations touching on national development. The minister explained that the committee would report to Cabinet once it had made a verdict on the matter. “I may not have recommended any name into that committee, but my interest is on ensuring that the matter is resolved.”

The minister said all rights must be respected in the issue. “During our fact-finding mission, we found that the damage was extensive on both sides. The truth is that all rights warranted by the Constitution must be respected. Every case must be judged on its merits. When we listened to all those who incurred damages, we were appalled.The Constitution of the country spells out clearly how a farm dweller should be removed from the land he occupies. The farm owner has also humbly opened dialogue with the farm dwellers on how they could resolve the dispute.” He said the farm owner had gone to the extent of offering to buy building material for the farm dwellers, as they settled on land that would be appropriated officially to them.
“As I followed the discussions, I gathered that the dispute is not complex, but can be resolved amicably. Such violence was not necessary at all.” The minister said the former minister had recommended that all affected parties must go to the negotiations table. “Negotiations mean one party may make an offer and the other may evaluate such an offer.” He said such negotiations must never be an imposition. The minister said the farm dwellers said they were not standing in the way of development, but wanted to cooperate for a peaceful resolution.

Nginesikhalo - farm owner’s lawyer

MBABANE – Lawyer Nkosingivile Dlamini, who represents the Mbondzela farm owner, says his client reported 39 cases of violence and ill-treatment to the police. He said the farm dwellers burnt a rondavel belonging to the owner as well as a truck and warehouse worth E3 million. Dlamini said so far, the amount of destruction and suffering that the farm owner endured had not been fairly reported. The lawyer was speaking in an interview after yesterday’s meeting at Mbondzela farm.

Compensated

He said the sentiments that the people should be compensated by the farm owner were not true. “For 14 years, there have been moves to compensate them, despite that the tribunal ruled that they were settling there illegally. Lapha besekungumbuso wamadla ngengwenya (what was happening at the farm was survival of the fittest).” He said he had some misgivings about yesterday’s fact-finding mission. Dlamini said the farm owner was not informed that the tour would start at the affected farm, but that he must go to Mashobeni. He said he went to Mashobeni and waited there, while the tour continued without the farm owner being represented. Dlamini said had he been there, he would have shown the minister the extensive damage that the farm dwellers caused on the property belonging to the farm owner. “They burnt his house and a truck, among many damages. The damage that the farm owner incurred is into millions of Emalangeni,” he said. “But I think the farm owner also acted in self-defence, because of the violence that was happening there,” he said. He said the farm owner had been harassed for a long time but instead of running away, he consistently ran to the law.

Negotiations

On the issue of negotiations, he said the farm owner was willing to negotiate for compensation, but the farm dwellers were persistently violent. “He had offered to build a two-room house and rondavel for each and every one of them, on land to be allocated by a chief. They rejected the offer.” He said the matter was taken to the courts, which made the offer an order of the court. But when their lawyer (Ben J Simelane) went to explain to the farm dwellers, they still rejected the offer. He said last year, the farm owner prohibited the rearing of cattle on the farm, because the people who were harassing him were pretending to be looking after their cattle.

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