eMasangweni Community Still Awaits Justice for 2006 Farm Killing

PRESS RELEASE FROM eMASANGWENI COMMUNITY
9 January 2009

eMasangweni Community Still Awaits Justice for 2006 Farm Killing

In 2006, two school boys from eMasangweni were killed at an area farm by two employees of Farm Watch. Five boys were crossing a sugarcane field on the afternoon of June 17. After being spotted in the field they were chased by Farm Watch; and after surrendering to the guards, two boys were fatally shot. Thembinkosi Mpanza, age 19, was shot in the head and died instantly. Vukani Shange, age 15, died a few months later from gunshot wounds to his abdomen.

The Farm Watch employees were only in jail for four days and each man was released on R100 bail. There have been countless and needless delays in the court case. It is only after two and one half years that the trial will begin. The trial will start this Tuesday morning 13 January, 2009 at the Eshowe magistrate’s court.

The pain of losing these two children has been made worse by a justice system that has no interest in the feelings of the eMasangweni community. Community members have had to struggle with the police and the courts as they have tried to make their voices heard as witnesses and as concerned South African citizens.

The community hopes that the trial will finally start this Tuesday and that the court will respect their feelings in this case. The community plans to be a visible and vocal presence at the court, along with the support of concerned organizations including the Church Land Programme(CLP), Rural Network (RN) and the KwaZulu Regional Christian Council (KRCC).

For more information please contact Nelly Nxumalo at 073-7265-431

PRESS RELEASE FROM eMASANGWENI COMMUNITY

9 January 2009

Umphakathi waseMasangweni udinwe ugane unwabu ulindele ubulungiswa mayelana nokubulawa epulazini ngo-2006

Ngonyaka ka 2006 abafana besikole ababili babulawa amaFarm Watch epulazini eliseduze naseMasangweni. Abafana abahlanu babeqa emobeni mhlaka 17 June 2006 ntambama, babonwa onogada bama Farm Watch. Labonogada babe sebelalela unyendle abafana. Ngokuphazima kweso badubula, babulala uThembinkosi Mpanza owaneminyaka eyi 19 weminyaka bamdubula ekhanda washonela khona lapho, uVukani Shange owayeneminyaka eyi 15 yena bamphuthumisa esibhedlela esiseduze wahlinzwa kwatholakala izitho zakhe zangaphakathi isibindi, izinso kanye nenyongo sezonakele ngenxa yokulinyazwa kabi. Wagcina ngokushona emva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa ngenxa yokudutshulwa esiswini.

Abaulali baboshwa izinsuku ezine kuphela, bakhishwa ngebheyili ka R100 umuntu emunye. Lilokhu lihlehla icala njengamanje lizoba mhlaka 13 January ngoLwesibili oluzayo ekuseni enkantolo yaseShowe.

Ubuhlungu esabuzwa siwumphakathi waseMasangweni sithukuthele ngoba ubulungiswa abenziwa. Sekuphele iminyaka emibili nohhafu sihlale sifika ngobuningi bethu enkantolo kanye nofakazi becala. Siyathemba lizophela ubulungiswa benziwe begwetshwe ababulali. Sithanda ukubonga abasiphelezelayo ngenxoso yokuzwelana nathi, izinhlangano ezinjengo Church Land Programme (CLP), Rural Network (RN) kanye ne kwaZulu Regional Christian Council (KRCC) nalabo abalwela amalungelo abantu emaplazini.

Eningaxhumana naye-uNelly Nxumalo 073-7265-431.