NKHABA – Occupants of over 1 000 homesteads are living in a state of insecurity following the court-ordered demolition of a house valued at E450 000, at Magadzeni.
Magadzeni is situated under Nkhaba Royal Kraal.
The house belonging to Machawe Shabangu was demolished in broad daylight in full view of residents and members of the inner council on Tuesday.
This followed the issuance of an eviction order secured by a woman only identified as Make Magagula, who reportedly purchased the farm on which the house was built.
The demolition has instilled fear among residents, amid ongoing talks that over 1 000 homesteads are also situated on the same farm.
Addressing the media yesterday, Nkhaba Inner Council Indvuna Mandla Mdluli stated that they felt duty-bound to address the issue before opportunists could exploit it. He expressed concern that many people might comment on the matter without having gathered all facts and proof.
Mdluli stated that the inner council was equally shocked and deeply saddened by what happened to the Shabangu family in the presence of residents and the inner council members.
Mdluli recalled seeing members of the Shabangu family fainting after being overcome with emotion. He also recalled seeing children returning home from school, only to discover the house reduced to debris.
He clarified that the demolition had created the impression that the inner council had knowingly allocated Shabangu the land, but he emphasised that this was not the case.
He explained that, to the best of their knowledge, the land on which Shabangu’s house was built was not part of the farm when it was allocated to him. Mdluli noted that a large portion of Nkhaba remained concessional farms after independence, used historically as grazing land during the colonial period.
“The royal kraal was saddened by the demolition of Shabangu’s homestead. His grandfather, Tibunutembita and his father, Ndvuna, were born and raised on the concessional farms, which cover Machegwini and Mnyokane among other areas,” he said.
Mdluli further stated that the royal kraal’s records indicate Shabangu was allocated the land in 2018. The inner council indvuna said investigations have revealed that the concessional farms cover over 1 000 homesteads.
This, he said, had raised concerns about the fate of the occupants of the homesteads, following the demolition of Shabangu’s house, which was the second homestead destroyed in a similar manner. “Does this mean that the residents of the over 1 000 homesteads will suffer the same fate?” wondered Mdluli. He said investigations have also uncovered that many homesteads have been built on what used to be farms, including Farm 1214. Mdluli said there are reports that this farm has been subdivided for sale. He further explained that historically, the first settlers of Nkhaba were employed to tend livestock on the farms before the farm owners returned to their countries of origin after independence.
Mdluli highlighted that the area had been without a chief from 1999 to 2022, following the death of Chief Bhekimphi. However, he said despite the absence of a chief, the inner council remained committed to supporting the residents, regardless of past events. He stated that as a result, the chief had instructed the inner council to consider allocating Shabangu an alternative piece of land, where he can rebuild his homestead and live peacefully with his family.
