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Constantia Valley properties face massive land-claim

 

“There are so many stories of black Constantia that are deeply hidden and covered over by the vulgar affluence displayed by those who took the land from former residents. These now complain of the black intruders in the area and say that restitution would devalue their properties…’ - quote

Farewell to Imam Gassan Solomons in Constantia

Reproduced from article, 29 10 2009 on http://cape-slavery-heritage.iblog.co.za/2009/10/29/farewell-imam-gassan-solomons/

“At 12:30 pm today I was amongst a huge throng of people who gathered on the old Solomons land, off the Spansjemacht River Road in Constantia. We had gathered to say our farewells and to bury our comrade, friend and great community leader Imam Gassan Solomons, a descendent of Tuan Guru.

imamgasansolomon3 nasser imamgasansolomon1

Imam Gassan Solomons’ son Nasser Solomons (center) pays tribute to his father – right: Imam Gassan Solomons

After midday prayer and a number of speakers who paid tribute to this wonderful brother, the funeral proceeded to another piece of land in Constantia which had been donated by the Solomons family to be used as a cemetery in perpetuity. It was a fitting place for the Imam to be laid to rest.

These beautiful parcels of land, originally 3 farms, were bought by the Solomons family in 1902 and they still have the title deeds. The family however have a rich history which goes all the way back to Tuan Guru, a religious/political leader exiled to the Cape.

In 1902, the Solomons and Sadien families legally owned all the Constantia Valley land, almost 5km in length:

The Solomons family and Sadien family once owned all of the land from the Constantia Valley development right through to and including the cemetery. This included the highest spot in the area, where their home stood until the Group Areas Act endorsed them out of Constantia under the Apartheid system. The family are still awaiting the final restitution of all of their original land, almost 5 kilometers in length.

trevor-best2 gabier trevour-best

Minister for Planning in the Presidency Trevor Manuel & Sheikh Gabier pay tribute to Imam Solomons

Amongst the speakers paying tribute to Imam Solomons role in the struggle, the formation of the UDF and his role as an ANC member of Parliament, was his old friend and comrade, former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. Imam Solomon’s comrades and life-long friend Sheikh Gabier  also paid a memorable tribute to his friend as did the Imam’s son Nasser.

Imam Gassan Solomons had succumbed to prostate cancer which had spread to his bones. To the end he is said to have displayed the courage that had been a hallmark of his life. His life was one of a carefully balanced service to the communities of Cape Town, to his family, to his community of faith, to the UDF, to the ANC, to the electorate, to the MJC, to his Claremont Mosque, to the Zakhr Fund, to Radio Voice of the Cape, to the youth and so much more. He was also a dedicated gardener and pigeon man.

I remember Imam Solomons as a humble  man who always greeted one warmly with a smile clasping your hand in both of his hands. He had a way about him that told you that everyone was equal in this man’s eyes and he was someone who always made time to stop and smell the roses. One of the speakers, his son, talked about a man who had a strong work ethic and led by example. It was men like these that led us in the struggle against Apartheid. He was often of the run from the police, changing his appearance frequently.

funeral

Imam Solomons was a man of practical faith. He lived the Muslim path, emphasising the simplicity of the faith by underlining its spirit through his service to people. His was not a faith and politics of making a loud noise and shouting radical slogans. It was one of carefully laying sound foundations for us all and laying cement and brick, one by one to build a solid structure for future generations.

May the peace of Allah and the spirit of Gassan Solomons envelope his wife Amina and his sons and daughters in this time of grief. We’ve all lost a great brother. But his life and legacy is our gain and the gain of future generations.

The full story of the Solomons of Constantia needs to be recorded and told. It is another piece of our wonderful hidden heritage.

There are so many stories of black Constantia that is deeply hidden and covered over by the vulgar affluence displayed by those who took the land from former residents. These now complain of the black intruders in the area and say that restitution would devalue their properties. “

http://cape-slavery-heritage.iblog.co.za/2009/10/29/farewell-imam-gassan-solomons/

Four Dutch immigrants’ murders relived in court

 

Dutch siblings relive horrors of May 1 2008 quadruple murders

Baldwin Ndaba -   The Star, Johannesburg

Bijkersma Wouda family Roodepoort SA

An earlier family picture of the devoutly religious Dutch/Fresian family which was struck by the quadruple-murder tragedy in Roodepoort, South Africa: from left to right: surviving opera-singer son Douwe Jr. (1983-), the murdered father Douwe Gezinus Bijkersma who was a lecturer at the Pretoria Technical College (1950- May 1 2008), surviving daughter Hendrika Johanna (Anneke) (1976), murdered wheelchair-bound matriarch Hendrika Johanna (Hettie) (1950-May 1 2008), survivor Jan (1977), survivor Hiltje (1979). Son Douwe, a baritone opera-singer, still managed to sing in his debut as Dr Malatesta in Donizetti's opera Don Pasquale in the Pretoria Opera House a few weeks after the traumatic experience. The four victims included the grandmother  Johanna Durieux and caregiver Mrs Gelske Wouda, 40 – alll suffered ‘numerous stab wounds’ and were found badly mutilated with their throats cut, family members said. Mrs Durieux, 87, survived for another two months. Their chauffeur Stephanus Modise is on trial, charged with three murders and attempted murder.  http://www.salonmusic.co.za/aandante%2002.htm http://www.bijkersma.com/stamboom/Fam_262.htm

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November 17 2009 -- All Jan Bijkersma and his sister Hiltje wanted to do was hug and kiss their parents when they returned from holiday. An excited Hiltje rushed to the front door, and a broken window was the first sign that something was horribly wrong.

"The curtain was slightly opened. I went towards the curtain and pulled it. I saw my father's legs lying on the ground and I then took two steps backwards."

This was how Jan and Hiltje discovered their murdered parents ,their Dutch carer and their grandmother when they returned to their Florida North home on May 2 last year after holidaying at Sabie in Mpumalanga. On Monday, the siblings testified in the Johannesburg High Court against their former gardener and chauffeur, Stephanus Modise.

The chauffeur  pleaded not guilty to murdering Douwe Bijkersma and his disabled, wheelchair-bound wife Johanna, both 57, her caregiver Gelske Afke Wouda, 40, and attempting to murder Johanna Baecidina Durieux, 87: (stabbed in the neck, she died in a frail-care home on July 24 2008.).

"I then went back to pull the curtain again and I then saw my father lying on the floor with his head covered in blood. Jan was behind me. I told him not to go inside the house, but he insisted on doing so," Hiltje testified.

Mother in wheelchair - dead

Dijkersma quadruple murders May 1 2009 relived in court Jan Bijkersma testified that he "saw my mother's caregiver (Mrs Gelske Wouda) sitting dead on the sofa with her eyes and mouth wide open - I immediately knew the same thing had happened to my wheelchair-bound mother", Jan said. "I saw my mother in her electric chair. I did not want to look at her. It was a horrific scene," he said. The siblings’ grandmother Mrs Durieux, was stabbed in the neck but was taken to hospital, still alive. The frail old Dutch woman died two months later  at a frail-care centre.

Grandmother: “We’ve been attacked by a man carrying a long knife…’

While Jan was in the living room, his grandmother called out to him. He testified:  "In Dutch she said; 'We've been attacked by a man carrying a long knife', before laying her face down on the floor," Jan testified. He then called the emergency services. His critically-injured grandmother, stabbed in the neck, died in a frail-care home two months later.

When asked about their family's relationship with Modise, both siblings testified it was good when he started working for them in October 2004. The relationship, the court heard, turned sour when he allegedly became aggressive towards their mother, who was wheelchair-bound after one of her legs was amputated due to cancer.After the amputation, their mother organised a driving licence for the accused to enable him to become her chauffeur.

Chauffeur drove amputee grandmother’s car aggressively and terrified his disabled mother:

Jan testified that in one incident, his mother became angry after Modise drove the family car aggressively. He said this was one of the factors that contributed to the family's decision to fire him.

  • The court heard that prior to the decision to fire him, Modise apparently approached the family and asked for a wage increase. "My father told him that he was not able to give him an increase. He then advised him to learn a new trade and get alternative employment. He was lacklustre. My parents allowed him to stay until he got a new job," Jan said.

Political motive: killed his Dutch employers on Workers’ Day

Hiltje testified how Modise went to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to lay a complaint of unfair dismissal against her parents early in 2007. The CCMA ruled against his parents – and his parents had agreed on a payout in favour of Modise. In August 2007 Modise apparently served the Bijkersmas with court papers once again, threatening to take them to the Labour Court  for unfair dismissal as well. While this case was still pending howev er, he bought a long knife in a shop NINE months later and used it to kill his former employers and their family members on May 1 2009 -- ‘workers’ day’...

Meanwhile, a piece of glove that Modise allegedly wore when he attacked his victims was found by Inspector Gert Pretorius, of the Serious and Violent Crime Unit. He spotted the piece of glove near the body of Douwe Bijkersma.
Pretorius testified that this glove was not one usually worn by detectives at a crime scene, and this had led them to believe it was worn by the killer. A forensic expert is expected to testify about the glove at a later stage.
The trial continues.

More SA farm killings than UK’s Afghan war dead

 

 AfrikanersMurderedInSouthAfrica DeesIllustrationRense website November 12 2009 -- Farm attacks in South Africa – which are primarilty targetting ethnic-Afrikaner families and home-owners -- this year have claimed more lives than did the war in Afghanistan, an agricultural organisation, quoting SAPS crime-information, have said in an official report.

A total of 91 British soldiers died this year in the war in Afghanistan, compared to 111 people who were killed in farm attacks in South Africa over the same period, said Chris van Zyl, assistant manager of the Transvaal Landbou Union (TLU).

Beeld newspaper reported that over the past eight years, 282 British soldiers died in Afghanistan, quoting numbers provided by the BBC broadcaster.  But in South Africa in uust four years, 292 mostly white people died in farm attacks in South Africa, said Van Zyl, adding that these numbers were moreover  "conservative". http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2009/10/genocidal-black-gangs-target-sa.html

Van Zyl said these statistics were given to the TLU by the police, who did not want the organisation to make it public. – Sapa  http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=79&art_id=nw20091112095258364C679175&newslett=1&em=205034a6a20091112ah

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Farm death - ANC concerned about murder of white English-speaker:

Nov 10 2009. The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has expressed its concerns on attacks on “people living on farms” after the brutal murder of a white English-speaking ANc-member who was the former chief of staff in the premier's office.

ANC-member Dr Warwick Dorning, 55, was shot and killed in a robbery at his Adamshurst farm house in Merrivale, near Pietermaritzburg. Dorning heard a noise and went to assist his wife when he was shot. His wife and his mother were left unhurt while the two robbers fled with the DStv receiver, two cellphones and a video player. ANC provincial secretary, Sihle Zikalala, said Dorning had over the past 15 years, served the province with distinction. "It is indeed sad that his life was taken away just as he had begun to spend time with his family after his retirement earlier this year," he said. No explanation was provided for this early retirement.

DorningWarwick Assassination Nov 9 2009 farm KZN ex-spokesman premier officeZikalala said Dorning's death had “lain bare attacks experienced by farmers. "We take seriously the concerns raised by farming groups regarding the safety of farmers and all residents living on farms. We have been looking at roles that the government can play to ensure the protection of farmers and all affected by crime," he said.

Zikalala said the party sent its condolences to Dorning's wife, family, and friends. "We also call on the police to leave no stone unturned in apprehending his killers so they can face the full might of the law," he said.
Provincial police spokesman Senior Superintendent Henry Budhram said no arrests had been made. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20091110103745137C670950

Afrikaners banned from Voortrekker Monument

Die Verkennersbeweging van Suid-Afrika

Kantoor van die Verkennerspresident

Posbus 732 Rayton 1001

Transvaal Suid-Afrika

Tel **27 (0)83 4118229 Faks **27 86 693 8001

e-pos: henk@hvo.co.za

www.verkenners.org.za

Mediaverklaring

Verkenners by Voortrekkermonument belet

13 November 2009

Die Verkennersbeweging het vanmiddag ‘n skrywe van mnre. Jan Ehlers Prokureurs ontvang namens sy kliënt, genl. Gert Opperman, van die Voortrekkermonument.

  • Die effek van die skrywe is dat lede van die Verkennersbeweging toegang tot die Voortrekkermonument en talle van sy fasiliteite verbied word, asook by Bloedrivier. ‘n Toegewing is wel gemaak dat die musiekfees more Nov 14 2009 , vir die 154-jarige herdenking van die stigting van Pretoria, bygewoon mag word, maar die voorwaardes is van so ‘n aard, dat selfs dit kan lei tot die arrestasie van lede van die Verkennersbeweging, en selfs hulle gesinslede, synde mense in hulle teenwoordigheid.

Hierdie optrede word gesien as ‘n daad van aggressie deur genl. Opperman na aanleiding van herhaalde meningsverskille oor insidente wat hy of geskep of toegelaat het om plaas te vind, wat na die mening van die Verkenners nie pas by die aard en kultuur van die Voortrekkermonument nie.

In die skrywe van die prokureurs word valse stellings gemaak, soos dat die Verkenners enige optrede by die verrigtinge more sou beplan het, en dat die Verkenners ‘n vergadering sou beplan het. Beide aantygings word kategories ontken, en heel duidelik het die prokureur se kliënt hom of moedswillig onder ‘n verkeerde indruk gebring om sy saak te bewys, of die kliënt gaan ernstig mank aan betroubare informante wat vir hom stories aandra.

Dit is ‘n absolute skande dat juis diegene wat die belang van die Monument op die hart dra en as waghond vir volksvervreemding daarvan optree, en bereid is om daarvoor met welke vreedsame middele ook al standpunt in te neem, toegang tot die Monument verbied word.

Tydens die gesprek wat verlede week met genl. Opperman persoonlik plaasgevind het, is dit duidelik gestel dat die Verkenners die monument so heilig beskou, dat hulle geen optrede binne die monument sal doen wat die waardigheid daarvan sal aantas nie:

  • so anders as modeparades, popkonserte en onvanpas geklede vroue wat op die senotaaf vir foto’s poseer, en wat plaasvind onder die bestuur van genl. Opperman.

Dat die musiekkonsert wel uitgesonder word vir toegang, is ‘n klug. Enige Verkenner wat dus oor die piekniekterrein na die amfiteater sou stap, staan die geleentheid om gearresteer te word.

  • In effek kan Verkenners nie die geleentheid bywoon nie.

Verder word die brief van die prokureur as ‘n agteraf daad van genl. Opperman beskou. Verlede week is groter openheid en kommunikasie met mekaar afgespreek. Genl. Opperman het geensins enige moeite gedoen om hom te vergewis van feite nie, en op grond van foutiewe inligting dadelik tot die aggressiewe daad van ‘n prokureursbrief oorgegaan. Senior regsadvies word tans ingewin. Intussen sal alle gesprekvoering met. genl. Opperman opgeskort word

Henk van de Graaf President

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Ontvang van Jan Ehlers, Prokureurs namens Voortrekkermonument en natuurreservaat:

“Kennisgewing van beperking op toegang in lig van herhaaldelike ontwrigtende optrede op die Voortrekkermonument en natuurreservaat. Hierdie skrywe word in opdrag van ons Klient, die direksie van die Voortrekkermonument en Natuurreservaat, aan u gerig sonder benadeling van regte ten opsigte van vorige insidente van ontwrigtende aksies wat lede van die Verkennersjeug en die Verkennersjeug Pretoria op die Voortrekkermonument en Natuurreservaat gepleeg het. Kennis is geneem van die beplande bywoning deur “jeuglede van die Verkenners en Bravoland” van die 154 Afriforum Afrikaanse Musiekfees by die Voortrekkermonumnet Erfenisterrein se groot amfiteater op Saterdag, 14 November 2009 en u beplande vergadering te die Voortrekkermonument om 16:00 op vermelde datum.

  • In die lig van die ontwrigtende en eiegeregtigde optrede van lede van die Verkennersjeug op die Voortrekkermonument Erfenisterrein, word die VTM se reg op voorbehoud van toegang hiermee uitgeoefen. In die lig daarvan sal u lede welkom wees om slegs die musiekfees by die Amfiteater by te woon, maar word hulle hiermee reg van toegang geweier tot enige ander fasiliteite op die Voortrekkermonument Erfenisterrein, insluitend die volgende:
  • Die Voortrekkermonument, insluitende die kapel, die kiosk, die geskenkwinkel en die restaurant.
  • Die VTM se hoofkantoor en die kunsgalery.
  • Die Erfenissentrum
  • Die piekniekterrein
  • Fort Schanskop

Geliewe kennis te neem dat enige van die volgende in ‘n baie ernstige lig gesien sal word en dat daar dienooreenkomstig opgetree sal word teen enige lid van u organisasies of enige ander persoon wat saam met u of onder u vaandel optree, indien hulle hul skuldig maak aan enige van die volgende voor, tydens of na afloop van die musiekfees:

  • Betreding van enige van die fasiliteite soos hierbo vermeld.
  • Enige vorm van inmenging met die werknemers van die Voortrekkermonument.
  • Enige vorm van inmenging met enige van die huurders of hul fasiliteite op die Voortrekkermonument.
  • Enige vorm van inmenging met enige van die huurders of hul fasiliteite op die Voortrekkermonument Erfenisterrein.
  • Enige vorm van inmenging met die toegang tot die Voortrekkermonument Erfenisterrein.
  • Enige vorm van inmenging met die gewone besoekers aan die Voortrekkermonument Erfenisterrein.

Ons kliënt sou verkies dat die dag insidentvry verloop, maar wil grag beklemtoon dat dit sal afhang van u lede se gesindheid en optrede en dat geen toegewings aan hulle gemaak sal word nie.

  • U word verseker dat die nodige reëlings getref is vir regsbeamptes om bostaande af te dwing, al beteken dit dat oortreders gearresteer en van die terrein verwyder moet word.

Geliewe ook kennis te neem dat die inhoud van hierdie skrywe die basis sal vorm van enige aansoek om ‘n interdik wat met koste teen u en u organisasies aangevra sal word in geval van enige verdere ontwrigtende en eiegeregtigde optrede op die Voortrekkermonument Erfenisterrein en enige van die ander gebiede onder beheer van die Voortrekkermonument en die Erfenisstigting, insluitende Bloedrivier.

  • Enige dringende navrae deur u of u regsverteenwoordigers kan te enige tyd aan skrywe direk gerig word by 083 459 0292. Geliewe ontvangs te erken Die uwe Jan Ehlers Prokureurs

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Kommentaar deur Verkennersjeug:

“'n Mens kan werklik uit verskeie hoeke na hierdie belaglike optrede van Gert Opperman (voorsitter van Voortrekkermonument) kyk.  Daarom is dit werklik so dat ons dit as 'n eer kan sien. 

  • 'n Eer dat ons verset in die verlede so invloedryk was en ernstig opgeneem is, dat daar nou 'n hofinterdik teen ons gekry moes word.  Hierdie eer kom egter nie ons alleen toe nie, omdat ons nie die enigste organisasie/groepering in volksgelere is wat al menigmaal in die verlede gekant was teen sekere gebeure by die VTM onder aanvoer van Gert Opperman nie.

As ons kyk na die uitvoerbaarheid van hierdie interdik, wel, geen lid van die Verkenners of Bravoland mag op enige ander plek op die terrein buiten die Amfiteater wees nie. 

  • Wat meer is, is die feit dat die grap van 'n brief eers omstreeks 12 uur vandag, ja, Vrydag 13 November (hoeka!!!) begin sirkuleer het.   Is ons nou veronderstel om hierdie brief binne 'n paar uur by al ons lede uit te kry?  Wat van die lede wat gladnie vooraf daarvan kennis kon neem nie?

Die ironie is dat ons nooit eers beplan het om enige aksie te loods nie.  Ons het nie eers ontevredenheid oor die konsert uitgespreek nie! 

  • Wat wel waar is, is dat die jeug van die Verkenners en van Bravoland genooi is vir 'n jeugvergadering waarna verskeie vryheidsgesinde jeugorganisasies genooi is.  Dit is gladnie 'n inisiatief van die Verkenners of van Bravoland nie. 

Waaroor ons egter bly is, is dat Gert Opperman en sy "direksie" die streep getrek het, nie ons nie.  Nou weet ons net nog beter waar ons met hom staan. 

  • Hy en sy "direksie" het die vermeutelheid om ons te wil arresteer vir betreding op 'n plek wat vir ons as volk kosbaar is.  Dit alles teen die agtergrond van ons optrede en verset in die verlede wat in belang was van die Voortrekkermonument en dit wat ons na aan die hart lê.

Intussen is Gert en sy meelopers besig om dit te vertrap.  Op die korttermyn mag dit lyk of hulle daarmee wegkom, maar die lewe is mos maar baie soos 'n wiel...  Hy moet net nie eendag dink dat jammer alles gaan regmaak nie.Ons sal hierdie daad van vyandigheid onthou teen die agtergrond van die gebeure wat dit vooraf gegaan het. Hier volg dan ook die mediaverklaring van die Verkennersbeweging van Suid-Afrika.