3 in hospital after shots ring out at Mamahule

Three victims have been admitted to a hospital in the city after a shootout between two groups.

One group was said to have been denied access to their properties on occupied land and an argument ensued.

“It is alleged that a group of people went to the occupied land to discuss issues regarding land. The land is guarded by the Anti Land Invasion Unit and when they arrived, the security officers allegedly denied them access and an argument ensued and in the process several shots were fired between the two groups and three people were injured,” Provincial Police Spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed.

By Tuesday, he said there were no arrests made yet and police investigations were underway. The Anti Land Invasion Unit, according to Ngoepe, is a private security service.

This incident is the newest in a series of violent incidents and protests regarding a piece of land claimed in 1996, and of which the land claims have not been resolved yet, after nearly a quarter of a century.

In May 1996, the Mamahule Community, together with the Mothiba, Tholongwe, Mothapo and Mojapelo communities, lodged claims in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights (Restitution Act) for the restitution of five farms in Limpopo. The farms included Kalkfontein 100 LS, portion 41, which is currently owned by Blue Dot.

The ownership of portion 41 of the farm Kalkfontein 100 LS remains unresolved before the Land Claims Court and people started to occupy the land unlawfully and build structures following a group (Morena Seaka Home Owners Association) started selling sites (right to stay, according to them) on the farm, claiming the land belongs to them. Avhashoni Magada, Spokesperson for Rural Development in Limpopo, said an existing high court order obtained on 15 July 2015, declared the occupations as unlawful and authorised the eviction of occupants and the demolition of structures, and a constitutional court ruling again declared the occupation unlawful in 2017.

The department, as recent as April 2019, put it on record that the so-called Mamahule village and the selling of pieces of land as stands was fraudulent and illegal, and any building of houses is unlawful and poses a big risk for loss of property to all affected people

Blue Dot currently has an application pending before the Limpopo High Court for the illegal and fraudulent selling of the land, according to their lawyer, Floyd Legodi, but the Morena Seaka Home Owners Association launched the same, on an urgent basis against Blue Dot, on 22 May 2020 on the basis that Blue Dot unlawfully deprived them of possession of the farm. Legodi said that they have a deed with the registration showing that the property was acquired in 2010 for R14,5 million.

The farm is still zoned as an agricultural holding and has never been rezoned as residential, Legodi said.

There are no approved building plans in place for all erected structures, be confirmed.

A member of the Morena Seaka Home Owners Association did not want to comment on the shooting incident, claiming not to be trusting of the media.

Blue Dot Spokesperson, Ike Kekana, alleged that Blue Dot’s full-time security at the gate was ambushed by an armed crowd.

“Today (Monday) around 12:00, three people belonging to the purported Morena Seaka View Home Owners Association were shot and wounded during a scuffle with Blue Dot security. This happened after the failed attempt by the armed group to take over the Portion 41 Kaalfontein 100 LS forcefully. The wounded are currently in hospital.”

“According to reports from Blue Dot Security, some illegal occupants brought unknown gunmen to the farm the night before, just to survey. They were refused entrance to the farm by the security, came back to farm during the day with the aim of taking over the land forcefully.”

The security company could not immediately be reached for comment.

Police investigations continue.