Sign up with GoogleKilled farm manager received death threats
Unions say non-government bodies are promoting hatred against farmers
A KwaZulu-Natal farm manager was clubbed to death by a mob
January 10, 2007, 22:30
A KwaZulu-Natal farm manager who was clubbed to death by a mob in an apparent land dispute in northern KwaZulu-Natal had been threatened twice prior to his murder. Today, Deon du Toit, a colleague of the murdered farm manager, said Kenneth Lionel Eva received death threats on Sunday and on Monday.
Eva (47) was clubbed to death with knobkerries and sticks and his car set alight yesterday morning when he attended a meeting near the New Venture Farm in the Nkwaleni area north of Melmoth. Du Toit said he had returned this week from leave when he was told about the death threats.
"I asked him whether he did not want me to go with, but he said it was just a meeting. He still phoned me to say thanks for the bunny chow that I had bought him. He said he would see me in an hour," Du Toit said.
Du Toit was "bitter" about the incident
When Eva did not return by 1pm Du Toit drove to the meeting place. There he found the body of Eva and the burnt out bakkie. Du Toit said he was "bitter" about the incident.
Bheki Buthelezi of the KwaZulu Regional Christian Council said he had attended the meeting. "Mr Ken read out a letter saying that people were on the land illegally and each family would be charged R1 000 a year for staying on the land, and R100 for each cow grazing and R10 for each goat staying on the land.
"This triggered a whole debate among the people. He then stood up and left," Buthelezi said. He said he next heard a "big bang". "People were screaming and there were other people threatening them," Buthelezi said. Buthelezi accused the government of not acting speedily to resolve land disputes.
Vela Mngwengwe, the acting chief director for land affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, said: "I am aware that there had been a threat to assault Eva." He said officials at the department of land affairs offices in Richards Bay had brought the threat to his attention.
It emerged that in November the land affairs officials and officials from the KwaZulu-Natal traditional affairs department had "confirmed beacons. "The land in dispute is in fact commercial land," said Mngwengwe. He said he "would be surprised" if the owners had tried to extract rent from people because they "had gone to so much effort to have them removed".
Any loss of life is one death too many: minister
A court order had recently been obtained by the farm owner ordering the eviction of people from nearly eighty dwellings. Lulu Xingwana, the agriculture and land affairs minister, said: "Any loss of life is one death too many. Violence from any quarter of our society and whatever the circumstances, need to be condemned in the strongest terms," Xingwana said.
The Transvaal Agricultural Union reacted today by accusing non-government bodies and politicians of promoting hatred against commercial farmers, local radio news reported.
"It has become increasingly evident that similar actions are the result of deliberate and malicious propaganda... by several non-governmment organisations and politicians," said Chris van Zyl, a union spokesperson. "We regard this as very malicious and extremely deliberate to promote hatred and spite against commercial farmers and their families," van Zyl said. - Sapa
Unions say non-government bodies are promoting hatred against farmers
A KwaZulu-Natal farm manager was clubbed to death by a mob
January 10, 2007, 22:30
A KwaZulu-Natal farm manager who was clubbed to death by a mob in an apparent land dispute in northern KwaZulu-Natal had been threatened twice prior to his murder. Today, Deon du Toit, a colleague of the murdered farm manager, said Kenneth Lionel Eva received death threats on Sunday and on Monday.
Eva (47) was clubbed to death with knobkerries and sticks and his car set alight yesterday morning when he attended a meeting near the New Venture Farm in the Nkwaleni area north of Melmoth. Du Toit said he had returned this week from leave when he was told about the death threats.
"I asked him whether he did not want me to go with, but he said it was just a meeting. He still phoned me to say thanks for the bunny chow that I had bought him. He said he would see me in an hour," Du Toit said.
Du Toit was "bitter" about the incident
When Eva did not return by 1pm Du Toit drove to the meeting place. There he found the body of Eva and the burnt out bakkie. Du Toit said he was "bitter" about the incident.
Bheki Buthelezi of the KwaZulu Regional Christian Council said he had attended the meeting. "Mr Ken read out a letter saying that people were on the land illegally and each family would be charged R1 000 a year for staying on the land, and R100 for each cow grazing and R10 for each goat staying on the land.
"This triggered a whole debate among the people. He then stood up and left," Buthelezi said. He said he next heard a "big bang". "People were screaming and there were other people threatening them," Buthelezi said. Buthelezi accused the government of not acting speedily to resolve land disputes.
Vela Mngwengwe, the acting chief director for land affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, said: "I am aware that there had been a threat to assault Eva." He said officials at the department of land affairs offices in Richards Bay had brought the threat to his attention.
It emerged that in November the land affairs officials and officials from the KwaZulu-Natal traditional affairs department had "confirmed beacons. "The land in dispute is in fact commercial land," said Mngwengwe. He said he "would be surprised" if the owners had tried to extract rent from people because they "had gone to so much effort to have them removed".
Any loss of life is one death too many: minister
A court order had recently been obtained by the farm owner ordering the eviction of people from nearly eighty dwellings. Lulu Xingwana, the agriculture and land affairs minister, said: "Any loss of life is one death too many. Violence from any quarter of our society and whatever the circumstances, need to be condemned in the strongest terms," Xingwana said.
The Transvaal Agricultural Union reacted today by accusing non-government bodies and politicians of promoting hatred against commercial farmers, local radio news reported.
"It has become increasingly evident that similar actions are the result of deliberate and malicious propaganda... by several non-governmment organisations and politicians," said Chris van Zyl, a union spokesperson. "We regard this as very malicious and extremely deliberate to promote hatred and spite against commercial farmers and their families," van Zyl said. - Sapa
