16/02/2009

Land owner attacks the Masikane family with poison

In the late after of February 15, 2009 Ms. Joyce Fikile Masikane was alone at home when the owner of the land on which her family has been residing for generations attacked her. Mom Fikile as she is fondly known in her area was chased out of her home. Her family house was sprayed with some bluish powder which she and her neighbours suspects it was poison. This incidence happens two weeks after Mom Fikile’s daughter, Dudu and her cousin Zinhle were also attacked by the same land owner. The Masikane family called the police but they did not show up.

After yesterday’s attack police were called but mom Fikile did not see police until this morning. They showed up after one of the local white farmers called the police station to report the same incidence that mom Fikile had called the police about. This local farmer also had to give shelter mom Fikile since she could not go home fearing for her life. When the police came this morning they discovered a cat belong to the Masikane family dead. It is suspected that the cat died as result of eating poisonous food. The police took the cat to Greytown SPCA for pathological tests in order to determine cause of death. The police have not opened a case yet and no pictures of bluish powder were taken.

These attacks are occurring in spite of a court order issued by the Land Claims Court of South Africa on February 15, 2008. The court order was served to the land owner on February 21, 2008 at 18:06 and he signed the documents as proof of receiving it. The court order clearly states that the land owner, hereby referred to as respondent:

“That the respondent be and are hereby interdicted and restrained from threatening, interfering, intimidating or otherwise communicating with the Applicant and her associates, save for through their legal representation”

[CASE NUMBER: LCC19/2008; paragraph 3 on page 2]

Since the issuing of the court order the land owner has on numerous occasions physically attacked the family or invaded their house, took pictures and verbally assaulted them. Each time he attacked them the family and sometimes with the help of the neighbours and relatives call the police but police intervention in terms of the protecting the rights of the family or ensuring their safety has been very minimum. The fact that the Masikane family has been going through these abuses for years and the police and justice systems seem to be failing to protect their rights as indigenous black South Africans in their ancestral homeland leaves much to be desired.

The Masikane family and their neighbours will be meeting this afternoon to discuss this latest attack and to plan for court hearing to take place in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Land Claims Court judge will be presiding over land dispute matter.

For more information contact the following persons: Ms. Nobuhle/mom Fikile on 0721973881