Shopping centre construction to continue in Marite, despite family graves

The construction of the R200m shopping complex will commence soon, despite the refusal of a family to remove family graves from the site. So said Chief Mathupha Mokoena of the Mathibela Tribal Council.  The construction of the much-anticipated shopping complex had stopped 12 years ago when the Manzini family refused to remove the graves.

“We had a meeting with community members, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and the developer, Norah Fakude, to discuss the matter. The preliminary agreement is that the construction must continue without the consent of the family,” Mokoena said. All the other residents agreed to requests to relocate, except the Manzini family.

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“The department promised us that very soon the construction would commence, as they were going to negotiate with the family and take necessary steps to force them to allow the project to take place. For many years we have been asking the family to allow the project to take place, but they refused. To make things worse, the family no longer stays there, only the graves were left there. The community wanted to go and exhume the graves, but I stopped them because our culture does not allow us to disrespect the dead,” Mokoena continued.

In 2018, irate community members burnt the family’s house and destroyed the property to try and force them to relocate the graves, but without success.

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According to the chief, the project will create more than 1 500 full-time jobs and many part-time opportunities for unemployed young people in Bushbuckridge. It is known as one of the most poverty-stricken areas in Mpumalanga. Linda Page of the DALRRD said the department was working on resolving the matter between the residents and the family. “The dispute has not yet been resolved, however, the department is facilitating negotiations. The graves will not be exhumed without the family’s consent. However, it could be done through a court order,” she said.

When asked if the department was ready to fight the family in court, should it decide to take that route, Page said, “At the moment the family does not have any reason to consider legal action, but should legal action be taken, the department will respond appropriately after legal consultation.”

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Fakude, the developer and businesswoman, said she was ready to commence with the project. “I am ready to start constructing the shopping centre, but I have no powers to tell the family to remove the graves.”  The Manzini family spokesperson, Sipho Manzini, was not available for comment as his phone had been off for two days.

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