A case of assault to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) was opened against three members of the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), following the incident on Sunday, 19 February, where residents went on a rampage and burnt down the shop of the deposed acting traditional leader of Makonde, Nyadzeni Ravhura.
The angry residents claimed to have suffered for more than two years at the hands of a vigilante group, called Tshiswole tsha Makonde, who worked under Ravhura and allegedly terrorised them.
The charge was laid by one of the residents who claims that, during the riot, he had been assaulted by the SANCO members. The three SANCO members were arrested on Wednesday, 22 February, and appeared in court the next day.
More than 1000 villagers marched to the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court for the hearing on Thursday. According to the vice-secretary of SANCO in Makonde, Mr Ndinannyi Masindi, the three members were arrested as a strategy to "weaken" SANCO in the village.
"The complainant alleged that he was assaulted by these comrades while the whole SANCO leadership was trying to restore order and calm the angry residents down during the riot. We were working with members of the public order policing. How could they have been in two places at the same time?" he asked.
The three accused, Thivhadini Ravhura, Hulisani Makhado and Patrick Nndwambi were released on R500 bail each and will have to appear in the same court on Thursday, 2 March.
Masindi said they were going to use all the legal avenues they had at their disposal until the truth was revealed. "As community leaders of Makonde, we have the right to defend ourselves and our traditional leader from the dreadful military abuse by the Tshiswole tsha Makonde and all those who steal our natural resources. People are mining sand without our traditional leader's knowledge, and this has to stop. We have written letters to COGSTA, the Limpopo Provincial Government and the Tshivhase Royal House. If push comes to shove, we will approach the national government," he said.