11 April 2011
Rural Network Press Statement

From Shooting to Brutally Beating by the Farmers

On 05 March 2011, Mr. Matshana Mdlozi was brutally beaten by the farm owner of Valban Plaza in Utrecht when he was going to fetch his cows that have gone through his plaza.

For several occasions the farm owners have taken law into their hands and walked scot free. For so many years the farm residents have been under pressure, living like they don’t belong to this country while the farm owners treat them like they are in prison. For too long it has been reported that the farm residents are being brutally killed with out intervention from the government yet they are the voters of South Africa. As this has been continuous by the farm owners Mr. Johan Landmann has taken the law into his hands by beating Mr. Matshana Mdlozi while he was going to fetch his cows in his plaza. As he was beating Mr. Mdlozi, the son of Mr. Landmann was watching Mr. Mdlozi crying for help but Mr. Mdolozi did not get any help from him. This is not the first time that Mr. Landmann has done this as he has once before beaten up Mr. Themba who is now disabled.

Luckily this time when this incident happened the ANC was around the area mobilizing for the upcoming election. They used the platform by helping to ensure the arrest of Mr. Landmann. For the first time in our long history of abusive at the hands of the farmers a farmer was quickly arrested. He was charged with Assault GBH case no. 19/2011. But as he is white and rich a special court hearing was set and he was charged with R1000.00 bail.

The following day he went to the police station to open a counter charge and he opened a case of common assault against Mr. Mdolzi. It is case no. 20/2011. Mr. Mdolozi was then also arrested and released with a fine of R200 but what upset us and saddens everything is that Mr. Mdlozi opened his case first and his case was very serious as it is not just an ordinary assault but Grievous Bodily Harm and his case will go to court on the 14th. The concern of the community is why the last case goes first? Surely the first case should go first? Is this not still proving that the whites should be the first to be attended on everything?

This is a very serious case that is headed by the Presiding Officer Mr. Matimba and the officer who is investigating it is Superintendant Kubeka.

This situation has left us no choice but to protest and communities and organizations such as LPM, AFRA, CLP and our partners, brothers and sisters and will be protesting on the 12th of April from the garage called Caltex at 07:00am to Utrecht magistrate where the memorandum will be handed over to Magistrate Hadebe at 08:00am.

For more information please contact Mr. Thokozani 071 604 8957/ 072 026 5276 (Utrecht community committee)

Miss. Nokuthula 072 530 4156 (Newcastle Rural Network branch coordinator)