The farm is located in Agatha near Loretto Combined School in Tzaneen. During the handover at Tubbshill farm in the Letsitele Valley, Didiza urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the restituted land. The department acquired the farm for R3.2 million. The Bathlabine ba ga Mogoboya Traditional Authority submitted a land claim for the land in 1998.

The Commission of Restitution of Land Rights has since 2008 restored 1560 hectares of land at R48.5 million to the Bathlabine community, benefiting a total of 986 beneficiaries. Batlhabine Communal Property Association’s chairperson, Eric Ralepelle told the Herald that they are pleased that they finally received the title deed and that it was worth World Water Day was commemorated on March 22 to underline the importance of water.

Mahela, a farming enterprise based in Letsitele says they place a huge focus on water management. “Our water sources are important assets and need meticulous management. We try to approach our irrigation in a holistic manner to ensure sustainable water use and fruit production. By implementing precision irrigation systems, we manage to deliver precise quantities of water and nutrients to the roots of each plant where it is needed with minimal wastage,” said Pieter Vorster, director at Mahela Group.

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The farm was owned by Hans Merensky Holdings (HMH) and the association says it will be working
with HMH and Westfalia as they have experience in managing forestry. “Our intention was not to
make HMH pull out of the land, this is why we took a decision to ask for their partnership in growing the plantations. We believe the project will create many jobs and it will contribute to our local economy,” Ralepelle explained.

The event was attended by stakeholders including Bathlabine CPA members, Mopani District Municipality councillors, Greater Tzaneen Municipality councillors, and the Bathlabine leadership.