Violence erupts during Mandela Day celebrations near Mbombela

MATAFFIN – Members of the Mbombela business community had gathered to spend their 67 minutes for Mandela at Blessing Crèche on Wednesday, when the sound of gunfire was heard.

In the distance Mataffin community members could be seen screaming and running away from the sounds.

Mayhem then ensued outside the crèche.

Members of the community had fired the shots into the air after three men attacked 25-year-old Sizwe Mashaba with pangas.

His sister, Aisha, told Lowvelder that he was discharged from hospital the same night.

“We called 10111 for the police and an ambulance, but the ambulance never came so we rushed him to Rob Ferreira Hospital ourselves.

“The community is tired of these perpetrators. His head was terribly swollen because they hit him on the head with pangas,” she said.

Journalists were cautioned not to approach the area.

“Do not get closer to them because they are shooting at people. These young boys have started something they will not be able to finish. And we will avenge what they doing, we also have machines to fight back. We will also take out our guns and shoot them. We are not scared, we will show them who we are and we are going to fight back tonight,” one man said.

He then took his phone and called someone.

During his conversation on the phone he informed the person who he was talking to about the incident.

“These boys are shooting people and they are playing with fire,” he said. He then walked back to the scene.

When the shots were fired, one of the people who was on the scene started a conversation with a motorist who was standing some distance away.

During their conversation the motorist kept asking him who was hurt and who the people firing shots were. He then jumped into his car and drove to the scene.

Other residents refused to speak to the newspaper.

It later transpired that the violence was a result of a dispute between community members about people allegedly selling stands illegally in the area.

A group of people claiming to be the rightful owners have been selling stands illegally for up to R10 000 each since 2014.

Four legal entities own the land around Mataffin, namely the municipality, Mdluli Trust, HL Hall & Sons and the Community Trust.

The land was handed over by the Land Claims Commission in 2003.

At the crèche someone asked why the police had not arrived. It turned out nobody had called them.

Security companies and the police flying squad were then called to the crèche to protect the children.