A struggling small-scale farming family feel that they and their 21 cattle are being imprisoned in a space smaller than a rugby field by their surrounding game farm owner.
The Mbondi family, who are former farm workers and have lived on the farm in Chintsa East for 70 years, say a farmer, Chris Trollip, who arrived 10 years ago, had hemmed them in with an electric fence.
They said 13 of those cattle had died from starvation, while one was shot dead because it was grazing outside the family’s demarcated space.
They say they constantly hear gunshots from hunters and are worried about stray bullets hitting them. They say the shots also traumatise their livestock.
Mnkamntu Gadini, 89, said the latest development was new to her. “It is like we are living in jail. Not in this day and age should people be allowed to stay with their livestock in a small place like this. My cattle are starving and are dying. Pregnant ones lose their calves thanks to this trauma,” said Gadini.
“This young man arrived on this farm while we’ve been staying here for decades in peace. This is our only place we call home and this is where the graves of our relatives are. We are not moving but he is squeezing us out by putting electric fences around us. Are we still living in a democratic South Africa? Is this the country of Mandela where everyone has a right?” asked Gadini.
She said previous farmers who had stayed on the farm had no problem with the Mbondi family.
“We lived like family and our cattle and goats grazed freely and we had electricity and water but those have been cut off thanks to the current farmers,” she said.
Trollip said the farm belonged to him and the Mbondi family should not complain as they were living on his land rent-free. “I have a safe shooting range in my place and I’ve put up a legal compliance fence for the game. Also, in their yard there are visible signs warning them about electric fence,” said Trollip.
The family also accused Trollip of “tampering with the graves” as the electric fence ran less than a metre from a family grave.
“That’s not true. I’ve respected their tradition and we had to fence the area but it’s far from the grave in their yard,” countered Trollip.
Responding to the claim that the Mbondi’s cattle were not allowed to graze and that the only dam was fenced and denied to them, Trollip said: “At the time that we fenced this area, there were no cattle here. They were all in Chintsa. They only returned them when I fenced this for my buck.”
When the Dispatch team visited the farm, nine starving cattle, five pigs and chickens were seen. Trollip’s electrified fence was around the family home. A small portion was not electrified.
Trollip said: “I don’t see why they are complaining now, after many years they’ve been staying in this yard. I also lost between 30 or 40 of my buck because of animal starvation. This is just a small 33-hectare small-holding.”
Minister Gugile Nkwinti’s spokesman Mtobeli Mxotwa said: “The Minister is prioritising the Chintsa family case and we will follow up.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Farmers are ‘living in a prison’
The Mbondi family, who are former farm workers and have lived on the farm in Chintsa East for 70 years, say a farmer, Chris Trollip, who arrived 10 years ago, had hemmed them in with an electric fence.
They said 13 of those cattle had died from starvation, while one was shot dead because it was grazing outside the family’s demarcated space.
They say they constantly hear gunshots from hunters and are worried about stray bullets hitting them. They say the shots also traumatise their livestock.
Mnkamntu Gadini, 89, said the latest development was new to her. “It is like we are living in jail. Not in this day and age should people be allowed to stay with their livestock in a small place like this. My cattle are starving and are dying. Pregnant ones lose their calves thanks to this trauma,” said Gadini.
“This young man arrived on this farm while we’ve been staying here for decades in peace. This is our only place we call home and this is where the graves of our relatives are. We are not moving but he is squeezing us out by putting electric fences around us. Are we still living in a democratic South Africa? Is this the country of Mandela where everyone has a right?” asked Gadini.
She said previous farmers who had stayed on the farm had no problem with the Mbondi family.
“We lived like family and our cattle and goats grazed freely and we had electricity and water but those have been cut off thanks to the current farmers,” she said.
Trollip said the farm belonged to him and the Mbondi family should not complain as they were living on his land rent-free. “I have a safe shooting range in my place and I’ve put up a legal compliance fence for the game. Also, in their yard there are visible signs warning them about electric fence,” said Trollip.
The family also accused Trollip of “tampering with the graves” as the electric fence ran less than a metre from a family grave.
“That’s not true. I’ve respected their tradition and we had to fence the area but it’s far from the grave in their yard,” countered Trollip.
Responding to the claim that the Mbondi’s cattle were not allowed to graze and that the only dam was fenced and denied to them, Trollip said: “At the time that we fenced this area, there were no cattle here. They were all in Chintsa. They only returned them when I fenced this for my buck.”
When the Dispatch team visited the farm, nine starving cattle, five pigs and chickens were seen. Trollip’s electrified fence was around the family home. A small portion was not electrified.
Trollip said: “I don’t see why they are complaining now, after many years they’ve been staying in this yard. I also lost between 30 or 40 of my buck because of animal starvation. This is just a small 33-hectare small-holding.”
Minister Gugile Nkwinti’s spokesman Mtobeli Mxotwa said: “The Minister is prioritising the Chintsa family case and we will follow up.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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