Ventersdorp – Hundreds of Goedgevonden residents, outside Ventersdorp in North West braved the cold weather to receive financial compensation from Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti on Tuesday.
“It is a good thing for our parents to be compensated for the forced removal of 1978. They were treated in an inhumane way,” said Kopano Seerie, one of the beneficiaries.
“We were dumped in Vriesgewagte near Delarayville, far from our home.”
He said the apartheid government ensured that they were unable to visit their forefathers graves.
“It was impossible to travel 161km single trip to clean graveyard and perform some rituals as per our culture, and also farmers who occupied our land refuse us entry.”
He said about 600 families were forced to settled in Vriesgewagte.
“There were 150 families from Goedgevonden, the other families were evicted from the nearby farms and we were all taken to Vriesgewagte.”
Another resident Seun Mogapi, 45, said he was happy that his parents were compensated.
“It makes me happy to see our parents received compensation while they are still alive, however the biggest question is the title deed,” he said.
“We do not know whether from here [receiving compensation] we will be granted the title deed for this land.”
Mogapi said the question about the title deed has not been answered.
“The is no straight answer on this matter, as children we are allowing the compensation phase to pass and we will engaged relevant government department on the title deeds.”
Minister Nkwinti handed over financial compensation to 150 families who were forced removed from their land due to pass racial laws and did not received compensation.
The compensation valued at R18.4 million, translating to R123 000 per family.
Women ululated and men whistled as beneficiaries received their compensation. Some shed tears in jubilation.
They were forced removed in 1978 and settled in Vriesgewagte near Delarayville. They returned to Goedgevonden in 1991.
Upon their return, they were harassed by right-wings group from Ventersdorp.
Ventersdorp was the headquarter of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (Afrikaner Resistance Movement) AWB, led by Eugene Terre’Blanche.
Terre’Blanche was hacked to dead at his farm outside Ventersdorp in 2010.
ANA