If the objective was to strike fear into the hearts of every single person who lives in Marievale, the military succeeded in doing just that when the neighbourhood was locked down by military police officials on May 25.
The women and children who reside on this stretch of land – which has been earmarked to become an open cast coal mine in the not so distant future – were forced to wait in the freezing cold for nearly four hours while the military conducted an operation believed to root out criminal activities in the area.
Many men were beaten and of the 50 odd who were taken to Dunnottar police station because they did not have the right documentation, only 10 were arrested.
During that evening no help was to be found. The police and ambulances were denied entry to the former military base. Calls to DA Ward Councillor Wollaston Labuschagne weren’t answered and to top it off, residents recall how Colonel Mbunani, who was to address those who were forced to wait at the entrance, said that he first had to go fetch a jacket before he would speak to them.
Threats to compliment violence
Residents were told that they had 24-hours to vacate their houses. No documentation was provided as soldiers went from house to house with this instruction.
The ordeal started at 16:00 and by 20:00 military police and their Ratels had withdrawn after Willie Koekemoer of the Marievale Residents Association had contacted the DA’s shadow minister of defence Kobus Marais.
Koekemoer proceeded to open a case of intimidation against the top ranking officials at the military base as well as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
HERAUT can confirm that by 21:00 not a single guard was stationed at the entrance. However, the soldiers returned in the morning and eventually dispersed when Labuschangne negotiated a truce with the SANDF.
Even the school bus was denied access that morning.
Temporary ceasefire
On May 28 a public meeting was held to discuss a way forward and Labuschagne was tasked to be the mediator between the residents and the SANDF.
What the residents want is for Marievale to be incorporated into the City of Ekurhuleni so that they too can pay rates and taxes. This process was initiated many years ago, but to date no feedback has been forthcoming from the Department of Public Works – the department which controls this section of land.
The process is, however, likely to drag out and residents can only wonder when the soldiers will again take matters into their own hands.
“They made us stand at the gates in the cold, without jerseys while they drove the big Ratels in and out,” said resident Adri Maree.
“Many of the people standing there were elderly women and children and they were not even allowed to use the bathroom.”
The police were also not informed of the operation which took place on that chilly Thursday evening.
Seeing the Ratels return the following morning took everyone by surprise – including the children who were being ferried off to school.
“When we saw the army again, all of us were scared. The children were crying,” Grade 10 learner Amy told HERAUT.
“How can they come in here and abuse the children? The children here are all very unhappy and scared.”
Military not bound by rules
The first time the SANDF opted to take matters into their own hands this year was in January when the Engineers Golf Club was closed.
Again, no documentation was provided and it was later confirmed that the operation was not approved by the Minister of Defence.
To read that article, click here.
