A farmer from Mpumalanga has been arrested and appeared in the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of intimidation in a case connected to an ongoing dispute involving residents of Waterval farm.
The charges stem from an incident that allegedly occurred on 3 September, 2024, during which the farmer, Janneman Uys, allegedly assaulted and threatened farm resident Thabang Madisa with a firearm.
Family questions charge decision
Madisa’s brother, January Madisa, said it was baffling that the police charged the farmer with intimidation because he alleged on that day the farmer attacked the victim at his home, assaulted him and pointed a firearm at him.
“He even tried to run over my brother with his bakkie. Yes, he has intimidated us but he has done worse because he is the one who ordered the torching of several homesteads on the farm and the killing of livestock,” he alleged.
Madisa said they had previously opened at least seven cases against Uys since 2022, when Uys arrived at the farm in Dithabeng where his family has lived for generation.
“That is why we are shocked that he is only charged with intimidation,” he said.
Long-running dispute on the farm
The case forms part of a broader and highly contentious conflict on the farm, where several families were allegedly forced to leave due to intimidation and violence in a dispute over land occupation and residency rights.
The Citizen has reported how, in the past three years, at least four houses have been burnt down, two residents shot dead at their homes at night and their livestock poisoned or shot dead.
The Bolsheviks Party of South Africa, which has put pressure on the police to act on the alleged attacks, welcomed Uys’ arrest but expressed concern over the lengthy time it has taken for the matter to progress through the criminal justice system.
“We stand firmly with Madisa. Victims of violent crime deserve absolute protection, dignity and a swift path to justice,” the party’s general secretary, Seun Mogotji, said.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Jabu Ndubane said the pointing of a firearm and common assault could become additional charges.
case was yesterday postponed to 5 August for further investigation and Uys’ bail was extended.
