AFRA News No. 65 October 2009 Actions supported by AFRA
Greytown March – 15 April 2009
In April AFRA supported a march in Greytown against BEE company Nomalanga, that had leased farms from black communities through the Department of Land Aff airs via the Government’s Land Reform Programme.
A joint venture was initiated with Nomalanga but the communities were angry when they found out that the contents of the lease agreements were not what had initially been presented – an opinion that was supported by their attorney.
Nomalanga and the DLA did not honour the march despite having agreed to do so. A nasty incident was averted by the police when the marchers wanted to attack the IFP Mayor, Mr Ngubane for making vulgar comments against the activists.
The marchers demanded that:
Nomalanga vacate the farms
An urgent investigation be held into government workers who have business interests in the farms.
Skeiwerkop Farm Land Reclamation – 15 May 2009
Since 1995 the landless people of Skiewerkop Farm have been deprived of grazing and cropping rights by the current owner. AFRA and landless people from Utrecht, Dannhauser and Newcastle therefore fully supported them when, after many fruitless attempts to engage government through the Department of Land Aff airs (DLA), they reoccupied their land on the morning of 15 May 2009.
To date there has been no response from government, and AFRA calls on government to intervene and make sure that farm dwellers are protected from abuse by farmers, and that the DLA acts on these matters with urgency.
