The Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane today (23 November 2018) handed-over 33 title deeds to 33 Communal Property Associations (CPAs) which have successfully claimed their land back through the Land Restitution programme across all five districts of the Limpopo Province.
This occasion marked the handover of more than forty thousand (40 000) hectares of land which included a game farm that has been restored to the claimant communities. Most of the claimant communities were disposed of their land around 1913 until 1962 following the passing of the 1913 Natives Land Act by the previous government. About 5000 people will benefit from this handover.
During the handover celebrations, Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the restoration of land will go a long way in restoring the dignity of the communities who were reduced to farm workers and labour tenants on their properties after being seized by the Apartheid government which in turn allocated it to white farmers.
We are handing-over 33 Title deeds to 33 CPAs that have met the required criteria. The confirmed CPAs per district are 4 from Capricorn, 6 from Mopani, 22 from Vhembe, one from Waterberg and none from Sekhukhune said the Minister.
“The journey has been long and it’s still long but we need to quicken our steps in the acceleration of land reform in our country. Land is our heritage. All of us, together, we work the land to benefit us and our children”, pleaded the Minster.
In the Limpopo province, 7301 claims were lodged, 5651 settled and 5473 were finalised. Of the 5473 finalised we have about 1650 still outstanding and 178 finalised but not yet settled, so the total outstanding claims are at 1828.
“We have received the highest lodged claims from Vhembe, at 2606, Sekhukhune at 1880, Capricorn at 1481, Mopani at 789 and Waterberg at 545”, highlighted the Minister.
New order claims lodged since 2014 are standing at 18 335 for Limpopo with highest claims in Vhembe at 11 361, followed by Waterberg at 3013, Mopani with 2406, Capricorn at 1028 and Sekhukhune at 527.
Outstanding claims per district are as follows, Capricorn has 245, Mopani 185, Sekhukhune, 901, Vhembe 339 and Waterberg 158.
“We understand your justifiable impatience, feelings of despair and anxiety and we pledge that your turn is coming soon. We are also mindful that our task to restore the dignity of a black child is huge but as government we are committed to fulfill the vision of a better South Africa said the minister”, urged.
The Chairperson of CPAs Mr Calvin Leshiba couldn’t hide excitement when he addressed the audience. He thanked the minister for finally giving them title deeds to their land. He said without title you cannot do anything on the land. You cannot get any loan; we thank the minister for her effort. The land does not belong to a person but the communities. Chairperson of CPAs should consult and not take their own decision, he said.
The settling of restitution claims is a continuation of work sought to advance the legacy of the Freedom Charter and the Constitution by sharing the land by those who live in it.
The Minister also handed over financial compensation to seven (7) individual families to the combined total of R25 million. Due to developments on the land previously occupied by these families, land rights restoration isn’t possible hence the financial compensation.
The Dept. of Rural Development and Land Reform has through its Commission on Restitution of Land Rights programme continues to restore land back to black people for agriculture, residential and wildlife farming and other diversified economic enterprises and empowerment as part of its mandate.
The restoration of these prime farms has not only brought about the reversal of the atrocious and demeaning Natives Land Act 27 of 1913 but also the reversal of the skewed land ownership patterns in Limpopo province and South Africa at large whereby black communities have full title agricultural land, game farms and mining land.
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Issued by GCIS on behalf of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform
