Category Archives: Flagstaff

Brutal Attack on the Phumula Mqashi Land Occupation in Tembisa

30 July 2018
Phumula Mqashi Land Occupation Press Statement

Brutal Attack on the Phumula Mqashi Land Occupation in Tembisa

The Phumula Mqashi Land Occupation in Tembisa on the East Rand was founded on 13 February 2018. It has been coming under sustained, illegal and often violent attack from the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD). Shacks and people’s possessions have been repeatedly burnt.

We have taken the EMPD a lawyer’s letter informing them that their actions are illegal but it has made no difference. They returned today, at around 10:00, and stayed until 12:50. They burned 266 shacks and assaulted almost everyone. They used tear gas and rubber bullets. They even chased elderly people and pregnant women. Many of us are injured. One person has been very badly assaulted. They undressed him and then started beating him up.They burnt all our belonging including mattresses, clothes and children’s stuff for school.

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Lindela ‘Mashumi’ Figlan

Lindela 'Mashumi' Figlan

Lindela Figlan was born on the 27th of December 1970 in J.B. Location in Flagstaff in Pondoland in what was then the Transkei bantustan.

His mother was from the Radebe family and she kept the home. His father was secretary of the congress that went into revolt on Ngquza Hill in 1960. More than 4 000 men occupied Ngquza Hill. They were determined to fight for their land and for their dignity. The apartheid state sent in the military and there was a massacre. The courage of the men on Ngquza Hill is always remembered in Pondoland today. The songs from that struggle, like 'Asiyifuni idompas', are still sung today. When Lindela was a young boy the police used to come to their home from time to time, kick in the door and kidnap his father. Sometimes they would take him to a place known as Betani where they would force him to dig potatoes with his hands saying that they did not want to risk damaging their tools. When he came home his fingernails would be red.

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