Elmon Tshikhudo
A poor family’s effort to pull itself out of abject poverty is being frustrated by a jealous Limpopo leader.
The family of eight, headed by two unemployed sisters, has been battling to make ends meet with social grants being their only source of income.
That is until recently when they started a new business selling crushed stone.
The idea came when the family planned to add another room to their one-roomed house but they had to prepare the land.
“The place is rocky and there was no way we could build another room without removing the stones,” said family member Maria Muthumuni.
“We started removing stones and decided to crush them for resale as others in the area were doing.”
She said they had already sold some of the crushed stones when a messenger from the chief came and told them to stop selling the stones.
“We were told that we could crush the stones but the chief would sell them himself,” she said.
Chief Zwokundavhalala Radzilani said the sisters – one of whom is deaf and mute – had no right to make a living from his land.
Maria said the money from the sale of the stones would add to the little they are provided by the grant money and would help them to build the room.
“The chief told us to use our grant and stop tampering with his land. We asked the local structures to help but that didn’t work and now we are hoping the local community will help us,” she said.
Local councillor Edward Mulefu said they were working on assisting the family.
Chief Radzilani refused to comment, adding he was not obliged to speak to people he doesn’t know.
