Makulele community and SANParks’s partnership a winning formula
Chief of Makuleke in Malamulele, Ndavezitha Humphrey Mugakula, says his people are celebrating Human Rights Month and 30 years of democracy with pride because they have their land back and are benefitting from it.
The community was forcefully removed from their land by the apartheid government in 1969 and dispersed to places such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In 1995, after the government established the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994, the community applied to get their land back, and in 2004 it was granted. The Makuleke Traditional Council chose land over money and 20 years later is reaping the fruits of their decision.
Despite having Australian and American companies offering them millions for their 27 000 hectares for mining, the council chose to retain the natural beauty and biodiversity of the area. As a result, they have a 50-year partnership with SANparks to handle the conservation of the area within the Kruger National Park (KNP) around the Pafuri region, where they have already built three lodges, employed tour guides, and established eco-schools.
The area is situated between Mozambique and Zimbabwe and is one of the few places rich with baobab trees. In all the projects they have employed over 100 employees from Makuleke and they also have a banana plantation that supplies big South African retailers. They were also granted a R6.4 million grant which was doubled within three years of receiving it. Godfrey Baloyi is a community member who started as a tour guide and has been promoted to general manager of the Pafuri Camp.
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The community no longer waits for the government for services, they have built a school, electrified houses, and built a tar road from the money that comes from the tourism projects. Ndavezitha believes if they did not fight for their right, they would be swimming in a pool of poverty. “I believe we made a great choice by fighting for the ownership of our land.
“If we had sold our land, we would have lost our heritage including our ancestors’ graves, which are an important part of our culture and heritage. “My advice to other communities is to fight for what is rightfully yours and when you are granted your land, develop it for the entire community,” he concluded.
