Oodi scramble for land leaves man in crutches
Mpho Mokwape | Monday December 8, 2014 15:42
He was one of the hundreds who had camped outside the Oodi land Board fence the previous night, determined to be among the first to submit their applications for land in his home village.
He did not even have the chance to submit his application that morning. Instead, the stampede that ensued only landed him in the Oodi Hospital, along with several others who were trampled upon as the massive turnout brought down the fence.
On Friday, Segadimo’s leg still looked swollen. He explained that on the day applications were to be handed down at Oodi Land Board, he arrived in the wee hours of the morning and was third in line. “I got there around two in the morning and I was pretty much ahead in the line, until people arrived streaming in, in large numbers and things got out of control, in the struggle to remain in the queue, I was pushed so hard against the gate that it broke open and I got injured”, he said.
He blames the Land Board for failing to provide security.
He pointed as a results people got injured and not even a guarantee that they would find that plot they almost died for. Meanwhile, Segadimo said he is losing more money as he is self-employed and now that he is stuck at home and can’t do anything until his leg had completely healed. He has not yet been given the clear by the doctor, so he will spend a few more weeks on crutches and nursing his leg.