For the Serole family a huge weight has been lifted after they managed to bury their father with dignity last Thursday.

Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti, and acting provincial Premier Nono Maloyi attended Simon Maruping Serole’s reburial and memorial wall unveiling. Serole was a victim of farm evictions and after his death he was buried on the side of the road next to Lilliespan Farm near Coligny.

Addressing community members at Baitshoki Sports Grounds, Nkwinti said: “Land is an emotive issue. It can make people fight, even families among themselves, but as the government we have committed ourselves to implement this process of land reform within the Constitution. The land was taken through war but we are taking it back through law.”

The government was in the process of establishing a land management commission to track all the illegal evictions of farm workers, Nkwinti said.

Serole was a farm worker employed at the farm Lilliespan who embarked on a labour strike in 1999 demanding better working conditions.

He sustained back injuries during the confrontations and died a few weeks later after he was discharged from hospital.

The farm owner allegedly denied Serole’s family permission to bury him on the farm, indicating that he no longer wanted them on the farm.

The family, together with other farm workers, approached the then department of land affairs to help them oppose an application for an interdict by the farmer.

Albert Serole, the eldest son of the deceased, recalled the time when his father was still alive: “We were working together in the farm. We were very close. We were like friends and our family was very happy.

“After my father’s death, my mom started getting sick and she died in 2002. Our family wasn’t the same anymore.”

He said he was happy that the department had brought dignity back in their family.

The department acquired a 20ha farm, Buffelsdoorn, in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district and Tlokwe local municipalities, for the 20 evicted households to resettle. This was in August 2000.

The department also assisted the community to establish the Baitshoki Communal Property Association, a legal entity responsible for the administration and management of land on behalf of the community.

Provincial MEC for agriculture and rural development Desbo Mohono said Serole’s case highlighted the difficult conditions of communities living and working on farms.

The case has had implications on the amendments to existing legislation such as the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, 62 of 1997 in relation to the provision on burial rights.