COMMUNITY members from Izinini Village in Mbizana received title deeds from the minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, for land they were wrongfully dispossessed of by the apartheid regime.
Didiza was at the village last week to officially hand over the title deeds for about 1 282 hectares of land that will benefit 1 279 households, and a total of 1 300 beneficiaries. Their land claim was approved by government in 2016, and she went to the community to give them a settlement of R22 million, as part of the land is where the Mbizana Central Business District is built.
Government also gave the community R5.1 million for the operation of their forestry business, currently covering 581 hectare of this land.
Their enterprise, Izinini Communal Property Association (CPA), makes a gross income of R14.6 million through the sale of logs harvested from their land to SAPPI, through an off-take agreement. Chairperson of the Izinini CPA, which is hailed as one of the best performing CPAs, Dumisani Siyele, signed the title deed on behalf of the community and said they felt fortunate to have seen this day.
“Others who started this land claim could not live to see this beautiful day. We are thanking government. We have a project to fight poverty and under-development where youth is employed. Let us respect the land and use it for more development that will assist even unborn children,” said Siyele.
MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR), Nonkqubela Pieters, said that the government has uplifted the community of Izinini village through these investments, and support provided by government institutions to their business.
“It’s with delight that we are here today to finish this programme of development. It is my experience that CPAs and Chiefs are fighting in such a way that development stalls; hence I appreciate the unity displayed here,” said Pieters.
Didiza said the financial compensation has been granted here, but there are those families who have not benefited because of family feuds.
“I urge those families to reach an agreement and approach the committee so that the department can pay their compensation which is rightfully theirs,” she said. “You should know that you are the owners of these things, and today I say let us stick together so that we can see development. Do not disappoint us. We want growth, and when I come here again, I do not want to see destruction of these economic activities.”
– ISSUED BY DRDAR
