Mgungundlovu residents and government to meet in court in April
By Thembela Ntongana
19 February 2018
Resident Zenzele Gampe says a battle over mining the land has divided his community. “We are no longer the community we were and never will be the same. Now some people can’t even visit each other because we have become enemies.”
“If a person who is against the mine has a funeral, those who want the mine won’t come and vice versa. Before it was never like that.”
It is 3pm in Umgungundlovu on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast and many people are busy on their plots of land, while some are making their way home. The gardens are full of fruit and vegetables. Children are walking back from school; others are already out of their school uniform and herding cattle. Women are busy cooking outside their homes.
“I know I could be killed anytime because there are people who want to force us to agree to leaving our homes and our traditions,” says Gampe.
He is sitting outside his thatched roof rondavel eating mealies while his wife makes supper. He has been out in the garden the whole day. The mealies he is eating he harvested the previous day.