When Miriam Mihlava Mashaba and family members visited the burial site on the outskirts of their village to conduct traditional rites they were shocked to find that the graves of their relatives had been excavated.
“There were two graves of my late husband’s siblings. We used to go to clean around the graves but now there are no more graves, only excavations in the area,” Mashaba told Mukurukuru Media during a recent protest march by residents of Mhinga in Limpopo.
Mashaba was among scores of residents of Mhinga who protested alleged illegal sand mining which they say has caused massive environmental damage and led to the desecration of graves.