EFF STATEMENT ON ILLEGAL LAND OCCUPATION AT THE BAPEDI ROYAL
HOUSE.
Monday, 01 May 2023.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Limpopo strongly condemns the illegal
occupation of land which belongs to the Bapedi Royal House at Mohlaletsi
Village, outside Jane Furse.
This after a group of unknown men accompanied by members of the South
African Police Service (SAPS) invaded and trespassed land owned by the Bapedi
Royal House using graders and TLBs to clear the area and as a result illegal
structures erected.
This act of criminality is a serious cause for concern as the invaded site has
been earmarked for future developments including the building of the palace
and a shopping centre for the community.
It is equally concerning that when security officers from the royal house sought
an intervention from SAPS, the Station Commander of Apel Police Station
known as Colonel Kubhayi, said his powers were limited and there’s nothing he
could do, and he further advised the royal house to urgently apply for a court
interdict.
The matter was therefore escalated to SAPS at a national level on the 28th of
April 2023, upon which public order police were dispatched from Burgersort
Police Station to evict the vigilante group which illegally occupied the royal
land. The Bapedi Royal House is the custodian of the land in question and any
occupation that bypasses the royal house should be deemed unlawful.
What is more appalling is that the invaders slaughtered a goat, spilled blood on
the land and even shared food with members of SAPS from Apel Police Station.
This is a clear sign that the police from the police station in question, are in
cahoots with these criminals.
The battle over succession must not be used as a weapon to undermine the
authority of the Bapedi Royal House and that of the Queen Mother Manyaku
Thulare as the Bapedi Monarch.
The EFF is disturbed by the mushrooming of a gang of power mongers
contesting Manyaku Thulare’s role as the acting monarch, seeking to appoint
its own self-proclaimed heir to the throne of the Bapedi Kingdom for selfgratification.
The determination of succession of traditional leaders remains the absolute
prerogative of the royal family and not the courts, therefore the Queen
Mother should continue to lead the Bapedi Nation, and she must be shown the
necessary respect. We call on SAPS to patrol the area and closely monitor the
situation to deter any possible land invasions by criminals whose morality and
respect for the Bapedi Mornach escaped in them.
Furthermore, the EFF will assist the Bapedi Royal House in appealing the court
ruling which declared the appointment of Queen Mother, Manyaku Thulare as
unlawful.
Lastly, we urge the police to act swiftly and arrest the perpetrators for
trespassing and invading the Bapedi Monarch’s territorial land.
