RESIDENTS of Sgedlane in Kranskop, KZN are demanding the removal of a farmer who allegedly damaged their ancestors’ graves.
The angry residents told agriculture MEC Themba Mthembu yesterday that they wanted Kranskop farmer Carl Gathmann to leave the farm.
Gathmann‚ his family and staff came under attack late on Monday evening after community members were told that gravesites on his farm were graded in preparation for a new crop.
Police had to be called in when the community set fire to the farm and blockaded the roads with burning debris as tensions spilled over on Tuesday.
However Gathmann said on Wednesday that he found the events on the farm “highly disturbing and concerning” and claimed the protest action was an attempt to vilify him and get him off his land.
The residents also blockaded the R74 road linking Stanger to Greytown and Joburg. This forced government to intervene and calm the residents down.
A resident said they couldn’t wait any longer and wanted the farmer to leave immediately.
“We are sick and tired of waiting for a government process. We claimed the farm many years ago and we were told to wait. Up until now we’re still waiting. It’s now or never.
“We can’t wait anymore. We demand our land back from this farmer,” said an angry resident.
Councillor Mbangiseni Yengwa said the residents’ anger was understandable but they must follow the legal processes because removing the farmer by force would create problems. He said he had told the residents to calm down and wait for government’s process of land expropriation without compensation to be finalised.
He said although he had gone to the farm himself and saw that the area had been ploughed, he wasn’t sure whether there were graves there or not.
Hans Moolman, the farmer’s lawyer, said his client didn’t damage any grave and said his client employed 140 local people on the farm.
