“This is no place for people but a place for ostriches,” says 89-year-old pensioner and resident Snyman Piko, describing life in Glenmore. Piko, who lives with his wife and grandchildren off their pension and child support grants arrived in Glenmore in 1980 with his family from Seven Fountains.
“This is no place for people but a place for ostriches,” says 89-year-old pensioner and resident Snyman Piko, describing life in Glenmore. Piko, who lives with his wife and grandchildren off their pension and child support grants arrived in Glenmore in 1980 with his family from Seven Fountains.
Six years later, the Pikos and other families from different homelands around the Eastern Cape were relocated from what is today known as ‘old Glenmore’ (iGlenmore endala) to the two-room structures that make up the ‘new Glenmore’community.
Piko says “This place is dry and you have to travel far to graze your cattle and goats but where we were before it was much better because the animals were closer to the water and the grass.”
Meanwhile Bonisile Dyantyies (42), who is one of many residents who suffered from the forced removal from Coega in 1979, expresses his concern with their living situation.
“We were forced out of Coega and our homes had been destroyed and then we were brought to this place that is uncared for,” he says Dyantyies angrily. Samson Hoyi (44) who has not been employed since their relocation in 1979, exclaims that residents never have job opportunities.
“Peddie Municipality does not even know who we are, they should open up jobs for us because we are now forced to commit crime and start killing each other. These situations leave me no choice but to steal my mother’s pension grant money,” he says sadly.
According to Hoyi, government grants have become a primary source of income for a majority of Glenmore
households. If that weren't the case, there would be no Glenmore.
Nevertheless Glenmore activist, Ben Mafani (57) still continues his fight for the freedom of the community.
Although some claim he is mentally disturbed, the tireless Mafani is currently processing a claim against the provincial government to re-imburse the community and provide them with proper infrastructure and employment opportunities, as promised after their relocation from Coega in 1979.
Mafani, who said that he lost his family from this harsh way of life, has put all his energy behind getting Glenmore up off the ground. “In 2004 I decided to sell myhouse and cars because of pushing the case forward,” he said.
