Where Is The Compassionate Nation?

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Staff Writer | Monday June 17, 2013 00:00

The poor family has struggled to make ends meet for almost its entire existence besides the bitter fight for land with Mmadikgomo Babusi, the daughter of a paternal aunt.After being forcefully evicted in May from the compound they have been living in for their entire life, the Semongs had to bear the brunt of the cold winter in an open space nearby.They have nowhere to go. They have never owned any land apart from the field they have been told to vacate after Babusi won the battle for its rights. Their predicament worsened when their son who had been ill for sometime, succumbed to illness.

They say the doctor told them that he died as a result of the cold.While they had a double dose of troubles, having to arrange for the funeral and find an alternative place of residence, their problems compounded as orders for the evacuation of the contested piece of land persisted. Officers assigned to carry out the order seemed more determined to ensure that the family would have a troubled bereavement.Efforts by the elderly father, Tlhowe Semong to give his son a dignified send-off proved futile. After being granted a temporary stay by Kgosi Bakwena on Thursday, the tables turned just 24 hours later when a tribal administration officer accompanied by three police officers arrived with a new Savingram, cancelling the earlier communication.

In a nutshell, Semong was in contempt of court by holding burial arrangements at the disputed piece of land.However, when the determined 'law enforcers' arrived, the old man had already left to fetch his son's corpse from the mortuary, hence he escaped arrest.But his freedom only lasted until 9am the following day. Just an hour after burying his son in Gabane, the police arrived again but were a little lenient this time around as he was only ordered to appear at Matsimotlhabe Kgotla today(Monday) apparently for failing to vacate the land.

'This is now personal, why are they harassing my dad like this. What have we done to deserve this kind of treatment? They cannot even let us mourn our brother,' one of the daughters, Baaitse Semong complained.Following several customary court appearances, the family was kicked off the land in February but either because they had no option or they were just defiant, they went back.'This is my land.I inherited it from my late father who inherited it from my grandmother, his own mother. Mmadikgomo does not have any inheritance here,' Semong senior steadfastly told The Monitor on Friday before he was arrested.

It was the second time that he has been locked up. A few weeks ago, the old man spent a night at Mogoditshane Police Station after it was discovered that he defied the February court order to vacate the land.'There are school children here who have been sleeping in the cold and now that our fate seems to have been sealed, we do not know how they will continue with school,' the clearly depressed old man said.Their belongings remain stuck in an open space outside what used to be a family home, covered by a green plastic.