Landowner disputes halt development
The situation arose after a dispute between the Moreipuso Land Claimants and Mapulaneng Heritage Council (MLCMHC) and the Mahubahuba a Bokoni Communal Property Association.
MBOMBELA – The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) plans to halt development in the Blyde Valley until the rightful landowners are identified. Members of the Land Access Movement of South Africa (Lamosa) on Wednesday handed over a memorandum of demands to the MTPA CEO, Johannes Nobunga.
The situation arose after a dispute between the Moreipuso Land Claimants and Mapulaneng Heritage Council (MLCMHC) and the Mahubahuba a Bokoni Communal Property Association.
“This issue pertains to a community who feel sidelined on the development taking place in the Blyde Valley. According to the council, the four CPAs involved in the development have no right to represent them,” Nobunga said.
memorandum.
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“As such, they feel that they have to be involved in all activities taking place in the area and that they should share in the benefits of the developments.
“As the MTPA, we do not determine who the rightful landowners are or not. We work with landowners who are approved by the Regional Land Claims Commission (RLCC).”
After receiving and signing the memorandum, Nobunga said that the MTPA would be working with the RLCC to determine who the rightful landowners were, because the onus rested on them.
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They requested that the claimants be directly from and attached to the Moreitele KRP reference number, Setlhare and Pilgrim’s Rest numbers. Lamosa additionally called for the rejection of any claimants who have not been issued a Government Gazette KRP number.
Included in the list of demands was that the Mahubahuba a Bokoni CPA be excluded.
Lamosa secretary, Speaker Mahlake, claimed that Mahubahuba a Bokoni’s existence and inclusion was by default, citing that it has no Government Gazette KRP number. He added that the group fraudulently used MLCMHC’s reference number without consulting with the Moreipuso Land Claimants.
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The group also demanded a copy of the tax certificate, and requested that the name be changed to Mapulaneng Canyon Nature Reserve.
Key among the list of demands is a call for the shares allocated to each land claimant to be disclosed, irrespective of whether it is preferential or ordinary shareholding.
Mahlake added that the MTPA are the legal entities, whereas the CPA is not.
“They have spent the past eight years developing the land and a claim was lodged prior to the cut-off date in 1998. To date, we have not received any land and this CPA is using our land claim number. How can you allow a fraudulent entity to develop our land?” he asked.
