SANDF accused of intimidation of Marievale residents

Pretoria - Lawyers for Human Rights will approach the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, later this week following allegations that the SANDF continues to intimidate and harass residents of the Marievale army base, outside Nigel.

Some of the residents reported that, last week, soldiers from the Marievale military base fired flares, and discharged rifles and other firearms, early in the morning, around the neighbouring Happiness Village, next to the base, where several families are staying.Du Plessis said, as a result, it left the community, which includes children and elderly people, in shock. A number of shells from these projectiles and flares were later picked up by the residents.

These soldiers informed residents that they do not belong in Marievale and that they should move out. Du Plessis said in the letter: “It worries us that the soldiers continue to act with impunity, especially when they tell community members that they will do whatever they want and that they do not care about court orders.”

She said she tried to resolve the matter with the SANDF, but their position was that they had the right to conduct military exercises at Happiness Village. “It is difficult to escape the conclusion that the reason for both the unlawful eviction from Marievale and also now from Happiness Village, is to get rid of the community to make way for the planned mining operations,” she said.

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