Deputy President David Mabuza, together with the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR), Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, yesterday (16 April 2019) presided over the land handover ceremony for settled land claims at Seoding Soccer Ground, Kuruman – Northern Cape.
Addressing very excited communities of Seoding and Gamopedi, Deputy President David Mabuza said that the event signifies the importance of land ownership for all South Africans, in the process affording dignity to the recipients.
"We do so as a fulfilment of our strategic objective of ensuring that our people enjoy their freedom in line with the dictates of the Freedom Charter that gave the basis of the constitution of our country. It represents the founding values of our constitution where we, the people of South Africa, join together to recognise the injustices of our past; honour those who suffered for this just cause of freedom, the return of our land. It represents the fulfilment of our programme of radical economic transformation, which is underpinned by the restoration of the rights of our people to their land," he highlighted.
"The Seoding, Gamopedi and other communities that were affected by these removals have nursed these wounds, the dispossession of being, alienation of the right to belong, the freedom to be and the denial of the fundamental human right to think, eat, work, cloth and feed their children," said the Deputy President.
He further said that they were moved and shunted around on whim and over sheer accidents of their birth, and by the slime, the roll or click of their tongue. In a land of absurdity and peril, the Seoding and Gamopedi communities were moved to the hinterlands of the back and beyond, far-away from their original lands based on nothing else, but their mother tongue of Setswana.
The Deputy President continued by saying that these communities bore the worst brunt of apartheid machination, herded and dehumanised as social experiments in Bantustans. That they were treated as pawns in the service of new settlers, destined to a life of slavery as migrant labourers and in the process making them pariahs in the land of their birth.
"On this day, we have come here to make right what was wrong. We are here to numb their pain and to give back what is rightly theirs, so that they can move forward and build a different future for themselves and their future generations, in a truly free and democratic South Africa.
As we know, the struggle for liberation and enjoyment of human rights was waged by different communities. It was not just about political freedom, but also about social, cultural and economic freedom. It was about the unity of all South Africans - Black and White," he concluded.
Speaking on behalf of the claimants communities, the Seoding Community Property Association (CPA), the chairperson, Mr A.D Setlhodi, thanked government for returning their land. He said government was trying all its best to offer communities redress.
While the Gamopedi CPA Chairperson, Mr G Masedi, thanked the community of Gamopedi for opting for the return of the land rather than financial compensation, he indicates that government has supported the community with livestock and machinery; however, he requested that government assists the community with the electricity connection.
Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said: "We are celebrating with the communities who said no to money. As the department we are coming back with more support. Together with the MEC Norman Shusu, we will be giving these two communities post settlement support".
The Minister also said that the event was not only about handing title deeds. She said it seeks to go much further than that by ensuring that the land is put to productive use in a sustainable manner.
The Post-Settlement Programme has been developed for the two farms in order to ensure its sustainable use in a beneficial way to its rightful owners. In terms of the support that government will provide to both Gamopedi and Seoding communities, the DRDLR has spent approximately R10 million in equipment and livestock.
For Seoding farm, an amount of R7, 854 million has been spent on 114 beef cattle, 412 goats, machinery and implements such as a tractor, trailer, scrapper and fire fighters. As for Gamopedi, machinery and implements have been bought at a cost of R1, 539 million.
Equally, for the land restored to Gamopedi, the Department of Agriculture has built on-the-farm infrastructure comprising water tanks, boreholes, line shaft pump pipeline and troughs as well as fencing.
Amongst those who accompanied the deputy president was the Premier of Northern Cape, Ms Sylvia Lucas, MEC for Agriculture and Land Reform, Mr Norman Shushu and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Adv. Michael Masutha.
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Issued by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform: Ms Phuti Mabelebele – (Spokesperson) | Tel: +27 12 312 8909 | Cell: 076 402 7521 or | Email: Phuti.Mabelebele@drdlr.gov.za: Eviction Toll-free Number 0800 007 095
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