Scores of site seekers at Dwerani Mvelaphanda in the Lwamondo area could find themselves as big losers after paying thousands of rands for residential sites that are in dispute.
This follows a court order granted to the Nelwamondo traditional authority against certain individuals in the Netshivhale family, who are selling the sites for as much as R10 000.
Limpopo Mirror is in possession of the order, which cites Thovhele Aifheli Calvin Nelwamondo and the Lwamondo Traditional Council as applicants and Ntambudzeni Netshivhale, Lawrence Netshivhale, Sylvia Netshivhale, living within Thulamela Municipality (first three respondents), and unknown "unlawful" occupants of Mvelaphanda Village New Stands, allocated by the first three respondents, as respondents.
According to reliable sources, nearly 1000 stand owners might lose out in the transaction. This is just one example of the many land fights among traditional leaders where, in some cases, the buyers of the land end up as losers.
According to Mr Pedron Nndwa, spokesperson of the Lwamondo Royal Council, problems started in 2015 when some members of the Netshivhale clan lodged a chieftainship claim with the Commission for Traditional Leadership, Disputes and Claims, which subsequently failed.
"Out of the blue, these people started installing headmen in areas under the jurisdiction of Thovhele Calvin Nelwamondo. In the same year, they started demarcating sites for residential purposes in the Mvelaphanda Ha-Khangale area, which we succeeded in stopping via an interdict. By then, more than 500 sites had already been sold to unsuspecting land seekers, who parted with R10 000 each," said Nndwa.
He further indicated that while the interdict was still in force, they sold more than 1 000 sites illegally this year once again. He added that the council approached the Thohoyandou High Court, which granted an order stopping all activities in the area.
The order was granted on 19 June 2018, pending the outcome of the hearing on 7 August 2018, but these people are not adhering to the order. "Just a day after the order was granted, the illegal occupants of the land were busy building, and we now have a problem with the law. These people were told to stop all activities in the area, but they are busy disregarding the order. My fear is that they might find themselves having to demolish their expensive houses," warned Nndwa.
Asked for comment on the issue, Chief Ntambudzeni Netshivhale had a different story to tell. He said it was unfortunate that the Nelwamondo people had not understood the contents of the court order.
"We are law-abiding people and the people restrained by the order are myself, Mr Lawrence Netshivhale and Ms Sylvia Netshivhale, and we are doing as ordered by the court. There are just trying to mislead the people by changing the contents of the court order to suit their needs, and we do not mind that, as we are abiding by the order," said Netshivhale.
At the time of our going to press, a lot of activities were taking place at the new stands. For the new residents, it was business as usual. Some were erecting fences, while others were building their new structures.