By Lebogang Mashala
Cynthia Matome Mokgobu, a well-known young potato and vegetable farmer, operates on communal land in Gemarke village, near Bochum (Senwabarwana), in the Blouberg Municipality of Limpopo. She recently posted several videos on social media showing community members blocking her efforts to develop her farm.
The situation escalated following a confrontation with some community members, including a ward committee member and an individual who claims to be part of the local tribal authority. In one video, these individuals are seen chasing off a TLB (tractor-loader-backhoe) machine operator while Mokgobu was working to clear land for expansion.
In another video, an elderly community member is shown blocking the road leading to Mokgobu’s farm with rocks, preventing a construction truck from accessing Mokgobu’s farm.
Mokgobu expressed that she is facing one of the biggest challenges of her farming career, as some community members are obstructing her plans to expand her production on the land allocated to her in Gemarke. She claims the ward committee member, along with a self-appointed leader (induna) and their associates, are collaborating to prevent her from using the land.
