On the 5th June 2019, a group of people marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, to protest “Bantustan Bills”. The proposed laws will allow chiefs and their councils the power to sign over people’s land, graves and fields to mining companies and big corporations. Should president Cyril Ramaphosa, sign this Bill into law, chiefs will acquire great legal powers. This will allow them to control their people more than before.
This happens just after a recent land related case where Stefan Smit was murdered. Stefan Smit gained recognition after his interview with New York Times in March 2019. He spoke to the publication about the threat of land grabs on his property. During his interview he mentioned that citizen from a nearby township had started erecting shacks at the back of his farm.
Stefan Smit met his fate and it was exactly what he feared. The owner of Louisenhof Wine Estates in Stellenbosch fell victim to farm murders over the weekend.
In 2018, Smit was granted an interdict by the Western Cape High Court to remove structures that were unoccupied and to prevent more people from building shacks on his land that was vacant at the time. The land belongs to a family trust.
The South African summarized Smit’s comments into one powerful and seemingly a prophecy.
“I, personally, can’t breathe here. They are bringing people down here like fodder. I have never spoken to the people myself, not directly. You don’t do that. It’s not un-dangerous. It’s not advisable. I have received threats before, where they said they would burn me alive.” Stefan Smit reportedly said.
Farm murders and land grabs are a pertinent issue in South Africa. Kayamandi is an overcrowded township. Residents, there are desperate for land and housing. Hence the siege on Smit’s farm. How the South African government plans to approach land expropriation without compensation remains to be seen.
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