Much has been said about money being the root of all evil, but many who received compensation for land claims in Uitenhage seem deaf to this warning. In 1966 the apartheid government forcibly removed residents of Kabah Location at gun point during dawn raids. They were forced to move to KwaNobuhle.
Why were Kabah Location residents removed?
Government said it disapproved of shacks and muddy houses. Kabah Location was (according to whites) ‘too close’ to them. Most significantly, police couldn’t control any riotous situation. It was impossible for police to get in and look for someone, since shacks were erected amongst muddy houses.
People disliked living in KwaNobuhle because it meant more hardship. Kabah Location had been very close to town. Domestic workers could travel on foot to work. After the move to KwaNobuhle, people had to use taxis or buses and fuel costs rose way above their heads.
After the 1994 general elections, the new democratic government declared it would compensate people for their losses as a result of apartheid colonialism. From 2004, those Kabah Location residents whose plots were confiscated and their properties demolished, received huge payouts from the government.
Some fortunate families called for imbizo (meeting of family members) to discuss how best to divide the money equally amongst themselves and thus prevent an unnecessary shedding of blood, as all are branches of the same tree. Some acted wisely by investing the money for a certain period suitable to all members. Others consulted lawyers to help them sort this out amicably amongst themselves as one family.
The bad eggs of the familiesHowever, in other families, some men claimed bigger slices of the deal. They argued they had to perform cultural practices. But this was a blatant lie since these practices involved all family members. Often the men resorted to violence. This led to victims landing up in hospital, while the perpetrators of violence went to jail. This way of dividing money should never be allowed again for the result was hunger, joblessness, famine and poor education for the unlucky beneficiaries.