A burgeoning land ownership dispute between the Bakgaga ba Ga-Maake and the Vatsonga vha Hosi Muhlava of the Bankuna tribe in Limpopo’s Mopani District is threatening to reignite the tribal conflict last witnessed in the province in the 1980s.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that the Bankuna, under the chieftaincy of Muhlava and Bakgaga ba Ga-Maake, are embroiled in a contentious dispute concerning the ownership of land recently designated residential near Lenyenye township.
The property stretches from Burgersdorp to a few kilometres from the verdant citrus farms of Ofcolaco, and the sale of stands is expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of rands.
Ironically, the warring headmen are kin and share a surname, Mmola, and are from Burgersdorp village governed by Hosi Muhlava. Each asserts the land rightfully belongs to their respective masters and claims legitimate entitlement to sell the residential stands.
Sunday World understands that each has since expropriated stands that innocent residents bought from the rival faction.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday World, Pule Mmola of Muhlava Tribal Authority, said he is selling the stands for R2 500 each.
“The R2 000 goes to the royal kraal, while the remainder funds the administrative work of my office,” he said, adding that the tribal authority then issues an occupation permit.
He accused a purported Maake Tribal Authority representative, a Doras Mmola, of selling the same stands to a second person at an exorbitant price. He said Maake Tribal Authority representatives were running an intimidation racket his faction could no longer stomach.
“We are now compelled to assert our rights,” he said, adding that a decision had been taken to demolish all structures his authority believed were built illegally on its land.
When Sunday World reached out to Doras Mmola for comment, he simply said: “My brother, I am occupied at the moment. Could you please call me tomorrow morning so that we can engage in a more comprehensive discussion?”
However, follow-up phone calls have gone to voicemail since.
A woman, who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential victimisation, disclosed that she was “perilously close” to losing her stand.
She said her dream of building her own home could be dashed.
“Somebody has cleared my stand,” she said. “Neighbours tell me headman Mmola of Bakgaga Tribal Authority sold it to someone else. Now I’m scared I might be killed if I go there. These factions are pitting people against each other.”
Another resident said there was fear that people who bought the land from one faction might be attacked and dispossessed of their land by the other. “I think the Department of Human Settlements must intervene,” stated another resident who preferred to remain anonymous.
The animosity between the Vhatsonga-speaking and the Bakgga ba Ga-Maake communities over boundaries claimed numerous lives in 1983 in the area. Countless homes, commercial establishments, and various governmental properties were torched.
