Members of an Eastern Cape family, including an initiate, and a 79-year-old woman, who were cast out by angry villagers, have been living on the streets.
The village of Shixini near Wilowvale told the Vananda family never to return.
The villagers are outraged over the comments made by one of the Vananda women whom they said had insulted the men and was generally disrespectful of the community.
Members of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders, the Amathole Local House of Traditional Leaders, Mbhashe local municipality and Amathole Traditional Initiation Forum, social workers and police visited the area on Tuesday.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders’ Nkosi Xolile Ndevu and Amathole Local House of Traditional Leaders deputy chair Nkosi Phathuxolo Tyali pleaded with the community to forgive Vananda and her family, but the community resisted.
Not far from where the family lives on the street, a group of about 100 villagers including the elderly and youth, were toyi-tying and singing that the Vanandas must go
Nophelo Vananda, 79, and her family confirmed that she is the woman accused of being rude and “insulting” to husbands.
“This is my only sin, nothing else?’’ she said with tears in her eyes.
Nophelo and her family have been sleeping on the street near her home since they were thrown out by a mob on June 17.
“We have been sleeping here on the streets in the rain, wind and hot sun.
“Worse of all, they have even removed my nephew from an initiation school before he could finish.
“The villagers have made it clear that they do not want me here and I don’t know where I will go. I have no other place to call home except Shixini,” Vananda said.
Vananda, who was born in Shixini, said she was living on the street with her husband Zingisile Vananda , 61, six children and the initiate.
DispatchLIVE arrived at Shixini on Tuesday and found the family enduring wind and cold as a cold front hit.
Vananda said it all started when she had a confrontation with a man from the village at a funeral on June 11.
Vananda said: “I have profusely apologised and asked the community to rather penalise me even if I pay a fine instead of being evicted from my home which I have spent lots of money to build.
“I have no more strength to build a new home. I appeal to the people of Shixini to forgive me and have mercy on me. I am old and frail.
“I have to die in this village not on foreign soil. I have not murdered anybody or robbed anyone. I am just accused of being insulting.
“But, I am remorseful and apologised to my community.”
Vananda said she had psychiatric problems and told DispatchLIVE that she was taking medication.
Her son, Xolisa Vananda who works in the Western Cape, took special leave to help.
“Since I arrived we have been sleeping on the street. The only thing I beg the people of Shixini is just to forgive my mother.
“It would be better if she was rather ostracised and asked to pay a fine than evicting us. Where should we go. They all know the condition of my mother,” Xolisa said, crying.
Speaking to the traditional and political leaders, the community members said they had had enough of Vananda hurling insults at their husbands and fathers.
Zolani Sontungu said: “She has been doing this since 1998 and she is becoming worse and more disrespectful. She must take all her goods and go and leave this village in peace.
“This woman is rude and is also insulting and undermining our village and traditional leaders.”
When the DispatchLIVE left the village, the leaders were still locked in a meeting with angry community members.
DispatchLIVE
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