live or die for (eNkwalini)

The film is about the eNkwalini community’s struggle for land rights. It highlights the attacks by the local neighbouring farmer who has been trying to evict them since 2005 when he started to demolish their houses. The film tells a story of a rural community that is waging a struggle against ferocious tides of oppression. It is a story about a territorial war between the poor rural community and rich land owner. It is a story that reminds us that although South Africa may be celebrating 15 years of democratic rule, however, conditions under for those who are poor and marginalized, such as the rural and farm dweller communities, have hardly changed. For them it is not yet “uhuru” (freedom).

One of the houses shown in this film is a debilitated homestead that used to belong to the Shandu family. After many years of participating in the local community’s struggle to defend their territorial rights the Shandu family gave up and left on the grounds of voluntary eviction. Mr. Zulu who narrates the Nkwalini story in this film states that after numerous attempts of constructive eviction by the local neighbour farmer such as unlawful cattle impoundment, denial of access to water and public servitude road, threats of violence, damage to property (with almost impunity) the Shandu family joined a small group of local residents who ended up succumbing to this constructive eviction exerted upon them by this local farmer.

The Nkwalini community is an affiliate member of the Rural Network (RN). The RN is a non-partisan alliance of various communities who live on rural and farming areas in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It was formed in the late 2005 as an initiative to mobilize and keep connected for purposes of strengthening solidarity among those who suffer abuses of their land rights and basic democratic rights.

Reverend Thulani Ndlazi

To see more short films by Elkartasun Bideak click here.