Racist Shooting in Azania/South Africa
Date: Jan 23, 2008 8:34 AM

And they say apartheid racism no longer exists in Azania but they never stop manifesting. These types of shootings and murders have been non-stop in farming areas where Afrikans are treated like slaves.

The government has failed these people. Cry the beloved country.

yolisa

MAIL & GUARDIAN

'These people are out to get us'

Monako Dibetle

19 January 2008 08:28

Terror, anger and squalor best describe Skielik, an informal settlement of fewer than 50 shack dwellings on the outskirts of Swartruggens in the North West.

Skielek which lies between the main road and railway line to Swartruggens, was the scene of a brutal gun attack on recently. Residents barricaded the main road on Tuesday to protest against the killings, which occurred when a gun-toting youth allegedly went on a shooting spree, killing three residents and wounded six.

The violent attack was, most residents claimed, motivated by a general hatred for black people among the local white farming community.

Most of Skielik’s residents work on farms in the area and in the quarries as slate diggers. They rent the area from a landowner who charges them a monthly fee of R35. They get water from a tank, provided by the landowner.

The community, said 30-year-old Baswabile Wati, is very peaceful and appreciates the presence of white farmers because they “help us with employment”.

However, Wati, a quarry worker, said: “They [the whites] have threatened to beat us before and have promised to make us eat our shit for not following their orders, but we don’t hate them. All we need is peace and safety.” He supports five family members on his meagre weekly wages.

On Wednesday afternoon the main thoroughfare into the settlement was buzzing with reporters and photographers. Shattered neighbours, relatives and sweaty camera crews crowded the homes of the deceased. But there was not a police vehicle in sight.

“We are very angry and scared because we are sitting here not knowing what is going to happen to us next,” said a grieving Augustine Ntombeni, grandfather of 10-year-old Tshepo Motshelanoka, who died in the shooting. He had just returned from his daily 5km walk from school and was playing outside his neighbour’s house at the time. A white teenager, 18-year-old Johan Nel, is accused of the attack.

“Our children were killed like birds. Birds are even better because after shooting them you pick them up — our children were left there to die,” Ntombeni said.

Just up the road, at the Moiphitlhi residence, Thys Legwale and Abram and Esther Moiphitlhi were preparing to leave for Paul Kruger hospital in Rustenburg. On Monday three-month-old Keditlhotse Moiphitlhi was the second child to die in the shooting. The child’s mother, Ikgopoleng Moiphitlhi (31), was critically wounded.

Ikgopoleng’s father, Legwale, dressed in a torn dark blue South African Police Service shirt and duty boots, said he had given enough media interviews for the day. He complained of fatigue and said he was worried about the welfare of his family.

“According to me,” said Legwale, “the government has to really wake up this time. They should take charge of what happened to us on Monday; they should also cover hospital and funeral costs for our loved ones.”

Sivuyile Dinana (30) was the third victim of Monday’s shooting.

On Tuesday North West Premier Edna Molewa visited the families of the deceased, including the Moiphitlhis.

“I told Edna here yesterday that they should rather tell us to look after ourselves and stop promising us things they know they can’t deliver. It’s been 10 years since we arrived in Skielik and for years we’ve been told that we will be moved to a better place — how long should we wait?” a distraught Abram Moiphitlhi, an uncle of the deceased, said.

An angry neighbour, Selina Molefe, said the community needed to stand together and be vigilant about the local white community.

“It’s clear that these people are out to get us. Look what they did to us in just a few minutes. What if they come back and finish off what they have started?

“Yesterday [Tuesday] at court I wanted to see the suspect. We wanted to burn him alive and see him die. I’ll make sure that I go to court tomorrow [Thursday] to see the face of this ******* who shot my nephew on the leg,” said Molefe.

Across the road a shattered Vakusukume Phahloti (41) was sitting metres from where his cousin, Dinana, was shot dead. Phahloti could only utter a silent “kuzolunga [it will be all right]”.

Dinana was shot when he tried to get the children out of harm’s way after he heard gunshots from his shack. Minutes later he was lying in a pool of blood next to a dying Tshepo Motshelanoka.
When Maria Serote arrived from work in Swartruggens she found Dinana and Motshelanoka’s bodies sprawled in the dirt outside her yard.

“We quickly picked them up and put them in a safe place in my house,” she said, crying.

Serote’s granddaughters, Kgomotso (23) and Kelebogile (21), were working in the house when the suspect shot them.

Kelebogile said the suspect kept on shouting “hulle’s baie stout, hulle hoor nie [they are very naughty, they don’t hear]”, while he allegedly shot at everybody in sight. “I am afraid they [the whites] might come back. Nothing can stop these people from repeating what they did because there are no police here,” she said.

But Serote said she is grateful that none of her family members died in the shooting.

“My children are all lying in hospital with bullet holes on their buttocks. I am deeply hurt but I console myself that at least none of them died,” she said, pointing at a bullet hole in the corrugated iron house.

"...all revolution and resistance should come from a place of love,
even though they may start from a place of anger."
Alegria Sonata Barclay

=//=

Seems the only reason caucasians want to live in south africa is to play on some master/slave fantasy. Have been feeling disencouraged recently reading up on news from across the diaspora, even thought to stop coming on here for a while I mean the ANC is in power in S.A granted they have to pander to 'neo' colonialists and dodgy contracts but you'd think they'd try and do something about the devils their back yard...

No workers union?... Isn't Mbeki in power?

Still think that South Africa is the number one place for a Pan African upheaval of sorts guess we're all too busy getting kicked out of our communities when the area becomes profitable and the rent goes up.

"Johan Nel a 'young, brainwashed racist'

Racism was still a key issue in South Africa, political party representatives said as they addressed a gathering at Saturday's funeral of the murdered Skielik victims.

Congress of South African Trade Unions secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi said alleged killer, Johan Nel (18) was a "young, brainwashed racist" with "no regard for human life".

Enoch Tshepo Motshelanoka (10), three-month-old Keditlhotse Elizabeth Moiphitlhi, and her 31-year-old mother, Anna, were gunned down -- allegedly by Nel -- almost two weeks ago.

The body of a fourth victim, Sivuyile Danani (35), was returned to his home in the Eastern Cape earlier this week for a separate funeral.

"We have learnt with shock that this young animal has a long history of mentality [sic] that suggested that he has no regard for black people's lives," said Vavi.

"We are told that he was only 15 when he started to demonstrate instincts that suggest that he equates black people's lives with those of baboons and birds."

Mourners at the funeral clapped and applauded Vavi's words. Vavi said racist people needed to be taught a lesson.

Black people were no longer sub-human people, he said.

”The killing of our people here in Skielik, Swartruggens, demonstrates another reality -- that we still have a long way to go to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa."

He said poverty ravaged communities like Skielik so badly that "our people [are] not even in a position to smell the promise of a better life for all!"

African National Congress member of Parliament Patrick Chauke said: "We are gathered here today because we still have to deal with racism."

Earlier he led the congregation in a hymn.

Chauke said that they had invited other political parties to the proceedings.

"We did inform them of the services and it's clear to me that the call was not heard."

Another speaker at the funeral said Nel was a "serpent".

"A serpent like this, a murderer like this, what do we do with a person like this?" the speaker asked.

Chauke then brought mourners to their feet by singing Umshini Wami and calling Jacob Zuma "our president".

National Union of Mineworkers' president Senzeni Zokwana said workers in the region faced hassles at work, were oppressed and were paid "peanuts".

"You are the unwanted; that's why farmers' children grow up to believe you are different.

"Another Nel must not find it easy to target our people," said Zokwana.

Family members of the victims were seated in front of the stage and wept as they listened to the speeches

In front of the family were three white marble-coloured coffins laden with wreaths.

The smallest coffin held the body of baby Keditlhotse Moiphitlhi. - Sapa"

(Source: Mail & Guardian, South Africa, 26 January 2008)