EFF statement on illegal land occupation at the Bapedi Royal House

1 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 self-gratification.

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.

Issued by Tshilidzi Maraga, Provincial Chairperson, 1 May 2023