Local chief’s double storey house burnt
The mob also destroyed mining equipment that was stored at the homestead. The estimated damage is speculated to be R500 000.
ATOK – A double-storey house and a Nissan hardbody bakkie belonging to a local chieftain were torched by an angry mob at Ga Manotwane Village at about 20:00 on October 6.
Only the back rooms of the house were badly burnt as the family reacted swiftly and doused the fire before it reached the front section of the once-beautiful house.
The mob also destroyed mining equipment that was stored at the homestead. The estimated damage is speculated to be R500 000.
According to the spokesman for the Mecklenburg police, Const Elias Setati, the house was burnt by angry community members who alleged that the local chief Kgoshigadi Suzan Maisela had authorised the Bokoni Platinum’s opencast mining operation in the area.
“A rock from the mine’s blasting operation allegedly struck and killed a man who was welding in the village. The mob blamed the chief for the fatal incident at Bokoni’s Klipfontein opencast.
“Hundreds of community members then proceeded to Maisela’s house were they set fire to her home and another house in the yard,” Setati said.
When Steelburger/Lydenburg News visited the scene the next day, the Maisela family had left. A truck was seen loading some of their belongings to transport them elsewhee.
The newspaper spoke to Mr Service Maisela, the chief’s nephew and he blamed the police for reacting slowly when called to the scene. “Had they arrived early, the damage would have been less – we tried to call them but they only came late.” He said that before the mob torched the houses, the chief had been willing to talk to the people in order to hear what their problem was.
“As a family we were caught off guard, as no one expected this to happen. We will strive to find some balance in our lives.”
He confirmed that the chieftain had returned to Mohlaletsi Village as she felt unsafe in the Manotwane area.
Mecklenburg police said that an inquest and investigation into arson and damage to property had been opened. The station also issued a stern warning to the community members not to take the law into their own hands. Currently, the Limpopo public order and Mecklenburg Vispol police are all over Atok trying to normalise the situation.
Meanwhile the mine declared in a media statement that it had suspended operations at the troubled Klipfontein opencast mine and would investigate the cause of the fatal injury.
Bokoni also extended sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. “Safety of our employees and community members remains of paramount importance to our operations and our mine management is working closely with the SAPS, the department of mineral resources and other authorities involved in the investigation of the fatality,” the statement said.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News understands that the Klipfontein opencast mine comprises approximately 20 per cent of Bokoni’s total production and the paper learnt that the mine has an adequate stockpile for processing while the opencast operation remains suspended.
