A Century-Old Home Turned Hell: Mpumalanga Families Flee After Murders, Arson on Ancestral Farm

For generations, the rolling fields of Waterval Farm in Dithabeng, Mpumalanga, were home. Families like the Sibanyonis, Mahlangus, and Tlous trace their roots on this land back to 1910. But since 2022, that legacy has been replaced by a reign of terror they say is aimed at driving them out for good.

In a formal complaint lodged with the Land Claims Commission, the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), and police, residents allege a systematic campaign of violence and intimidation orchestrated after a new farmer moved onto the property. Their ancestral homes have become sites of bloodshed and ashes.

A Litany of Horror: From Threats to Murder

The allegations are chilling. Residents first faced orders to reduce their livestock and ploughing fields. The intimidation soon escalated. In the last three years:

• Four houses have been burned to the ground.

• Two residents were shot dead in their homes at night.

• Livestock has been poisoned or shot.

“We were given three months to leave,” one resident stated, a grim ultimatum that has since been enforced by fire and bullet. Families have fled, becoming displaced in their own homeland. Those who remain, like the Madisa and Mbonani families, live in constant fear.

Police Cases, But No Arrests

At least seven criminal casesfor murder, arson, assault GBH, and livestock poisoninghave been opened at the Verena police station. Yet, according to the families, no arrests have been made. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Jabu Ndubane failed to confirm the cases or provide updates when presented with reference numbers, deepening concerns about institutional failure.

A Plea for Protection Under the Law

Seun Mogotji of the Bolsheviks Party of South Africa, which is assisting the community, has called for urgent intervention. “These families are vulnerable community members whose constitutional rights to dignity, safety, equality and land security must be protected,” he said, warning that inaction erodes public trust.

The case tests South Africa’s Extension of Security of Tenure Amendment Act, which commenced in April 2024 to strengthen protections against unfair evictions of farm dwellers. The law mandates court orders for evictions and provides for legal aid, but on Waterval Farm, its promise seems distant.

For the families of Waterval, the law feels like words on paper. Their reality is charred rubble, empty kraals, and graves dug too soon. They are not merely seeking justice; they are fighting for the right to exist on land that holds a century of their history, now shadowed by a very modern campaign of fear.