Two Brothers Killed by Farmer
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For all your advertising needs contact Bongani Hlatshwayo on 0790691092 or send email to: bongani@ mpmirroronline.co.za/ [email protected] APRIL 16, 2021 FREE PREMIER VISITS PHOLA VILLAGE DO MEN SUFFER SPORTS: BANELE GRIEVING FAMILY IS NOT COOL FROM BREAST GETS DOUBLE She paid It runs out of CANCER? GOLD! condolences water for up to Read more on Clinched 100m through prayer 3 weeks life experience and 200m gold INSIDE medals 3 5 6 8 FARM DWELLERS DISTRAUGHT TWO BROTHERS KILLED BY FARMER BONGANI HLATSHWAYO succeeded in saving that soul.” The farming community were MABOLA - ZakheleCoka was left in summoned to the scene and the police disbelief and shock when a farm owner were informed and they arrived at Pampoenkraal Farm allegedly promptly to collect the bodies,” related shot at point blank range his brother, Zakhele. ZenzeleCoka on the head at close The mother of the two deceased range. men,Julia Coka said: “I just want The farm owner had earlier allegedly Greyling to come and bury the children shot at his younger brother, Amos because as a family, we don’t have Coka who lay sprawled dead on the money to bury them because he killed ground in front of them. As the second them. He must bury and eat them. shot rung that killed Zenzele, Zakhele Zenzele has been working there until he called out at the top of his voice: “Kill decided to lay them off and employed me, too, now that you’ve killed my seasonal workers from neighbouring brothers!!” farms. He didn’t care about their By the grace of God, the Almighty, welfare nor of their families, he must he did not budge when the farm owner eat them.” and his friends, allegedly armed to the Her sister, Maria Vilakazi said: teeth, tried to threaten him to leave. “The sad part about this whole thing, “I noticed that they were trying to is that this farmer has robbed us of a push me away because there was breadwinner in Amos, as he was the a gun next to the already dead only one working in Johannesburg and Amos - my suspicion was that they was a provider for the family. He had wanted to pin the gun on him in come to check on his sickly mother the pretext that he had attacked whom he was transporting to and them. We happened to remove it from the clinic. His only sin was trying from that proximity. to avert the ugly squabble between “We quickly then demanded Greyling and the farm dwellers. to see the kidnapped “Besides this gruesome incident, it’s neighbour, who had been not the first time we’re experiencing locked up and assaulted in this kind of treatment from him as a one of the sheds at his farm. community. He’s been harassing us My two brothers were since he took over the farm from 2010.” already dead and Farm Dwellers Association’s I needed to save representative, Henry Bongani this soul as a Hlatshwayo said: “We’ve organized matter of ourselves seeing the atrocities being urgency, which I CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Left: Grieving mom of deceased farm dwellers, Julia Coka. 2 News Mpumalanga Mirror / April 16, 2021 ALL POLITICAL STRUCTURES FORMED A UNITED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 meted out against our folk all these years, especially Greyling and his friends who are an organized commando that are armed heavily. “Our appeal to the judiciary is to oppose bail because they are a danger to society. They have been marauding this community for many years, we’re worried that the police and the judiciary are not assisting us in this manner because an incident occurs, we report, but we see the perpetrators walking freely and going about their business as usual, hence our unity. “Whilst the rest of the citizens are enjoying the fruits of democracy after 27 years, farm dwellers face the worst wrath of racism. Something must be done because we reported the innocent shooting of two farm dwellers whose vehicle broke down at the very spot where the Coka brothers were killed. Nothing happened. Cattle were poisoned, these farmers were the primes suspects, nothing happened. Who are eventually our saviours because even local government doesn’t UNITED ACTION BY POLITICAL STRUCTURES AT MKHONDO look after us as we don’t have clean water here on the farms; we are not United front was formed by all political structures during the picketing at the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on Monday for allowed to build permanent cement the bail application procedure for the four accused for the Kampoen Farm killing of two brothers and gruesome injury of structures; we’re not considered even one of their fellow farm dwellers. The ANC, EFF, SACP, Cosatu and other community structures, including the Mkhondo for RDP houses,” he said. Farm Dwellers Association were in solidarity in their effort to oppose bail for the accused. Photo by Bongani Hlatshwayo Four suspects, Daniel Malan, Cornelius Greyling, OthardKlingberg and Michael Sternberg are accused of allegedly shooting at a group of job “Their court appearance spirals from “This ruthless act does not only seekers at Pampoenkraal farm last an incident in which, the suspects are undermine the ANC’s efforts of building Friday and have appeared at the Piet said to have gone to the farm owner to a non-racial and united South Africa, Retief Magistrate’s Court on Monday seek employment as seasonal workers. but also opens old wounds and 12 April 2021 for a bail application It is said that the farm owner informed reminds our people that this country process which was postponed to these men that they are not welcome comes from a very painful past where Monday 19 April 2021 after lengthy on his premises. It is said that those many people lost their lives and legal arguments between the who came to ask for employment then families were robbed of their loved prosecution and the defence team legal decided to leave the farm, but later ones, by the racist apartheid system. team. They are also charged for assault realised that one of them was left “People who still commit such acts with intent to cause grievous bodily behind. which are informed by racial hatred, harm to another man. “They then went back only to find do not belong in the democratic South EDITOR: It transpired that the accused that he was kept at the farm by the Africa we are building. We call on all were pleading not to be placed at suspects.It is said that as the men our structures and justice loving South the correctional services, but at the demanded that they let him go, a Africans to go and picket outside the Bongani Hlatshwayo local police station cells. At the latter, scuffle broke out where two men were Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court when Cell: 0700691092 they can’t be together and could face reportedly shot and died at the scene. these barbarians appear. We also call Email: [email protected] intimidation, apart from one of them Three other men are said to have also on the judiciary to deny them bail as [email protected] being sickly. sustained serious injuries. they pose a serious threat to the lives “Police were informed about the of innocent farm dwellers. NEWS EDITOR: MEC FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY, incident and upon arrival, they found ANC Mpumalanga Caucus condemns SECURITY AND LIAISON, VUSI the two groups and two lifeless the Killing of peaceful protesters at Yoliswa Hlatshwayo SHONGWE SAID bodies. They (police) opened a case Bampoen Farm, Piet Retief and call for Cell: 0820907341 accordingly and immediately began No bail for the Racist Perpetrators. Email: [email protected] “As a department, we have consulted their investigation where the four Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature [email protected] with the provincial leadership of the suspects were arrested. Two firearms Chief Whip Cde Fidel Mlombo on SAPS to give this case and previous were also confiscated and they will behalf of the Mpumalanga Caucushas SPORTS EDITOR & DIGITAL other cases of this magnitude, the form part of the investigation. expressed outrage at the killing of two MANAGER: highest priority and leave no stone “The police management in the Africans who were protesting against ill unturned in their efforts to resolving province has strongly condemned the treatment of farm dwellers at Bampoen Jabulane Khumalo these issues at hand. incident and has since called for calm. Farm at Mkhondo. The farm owner Email: [email protected] “I’ve personally instructed the acting “A team of experts has already been and his racist accomplices appeared provincial commissioner to ensure established to investigate the case. at the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court PHYSICAL ADDRESS: that the investigating team in this Police has also asked members of the on Monday the 12th of April 2021. This case and other similar cases, should community to allow space for the law farmer’s disdain against black farm to take its course,” said Mdluli. dwellers is well documented, as he is Sunrise Heights 27 be allocated the most senior teams at head office. That way, we will foresee the same farmer who is alleged to have 15 Koraalboom Avenue positive results. ANC RESPONSE poisoned 14 cows belonging to black West Acres, Mbombela 1200 “We’re quite aware of several farm dwellers in June 2020. unresolved racist related cases within “The ANC welcomes the swift arrest of “We condemn this obnoxious act this farming community. Our call is the barbarian and his ilk, and calls on as it flies against a new Land Audit for all these cases to be revisited and the South African Police Service and report release on the same day of the let justice prevail.