R50 million awarded to Sithembile land claimants

A R50 300 964 cheque was awarded to Glencoe land claimants by the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Cyril Xaba, together with Commissioner for KwaZulu Natal Commission for Restitution of Land Rights, Advocate Bheki Mbili.

They made the dreams of Glencoe residents a reality on Saturday. 522 households with 1300 beneficiaries were handed vouchers to the monetary value of R96 000.These were tenants of the old stands who, during the 1960’s, were forcibly moved under the Group Areas Act of 1957 to nearby towns by the then apartheid government.

The first claim made in Sithembile verified 320 tenants in 2007 with the total monetary value of R11 688 960. Phase 2 in 2011 verified 133 Glencoe land owners with the total compensation of R13 839 528. In total, R75 829 452 has been remunerated to Glencoe alone.

Recalling the history before 1961, the year that changed the lives of the people of Glencoe, many for the worst, MEC Cyril Xaba explained that ‘Glencoe was a diverse town in terms of race and there was peace among people.’ The people were, however, robbed of their dignity, rights and freedom when they were located to areas less productive and very small.

The MEC advised residents to preserve the land for future generations and to invest the compensation in land for agricultural activities as this will not only guarantee food security, but financial freedom as well. He said that future generations must be told of this historic moment so that they don’t lose sight of who they are, and where they come from.

Although a cheque has been signed, there are still issues as some people have been handed vouchers with incorrect amounts. For some the celebration turned to frustration as these issues are yet to be dealt with. Advocate Bheki Mbili explained that they are still processing claimants who were left out of the 2011 compensations. Hopefully, this will be cleared in this financial year.

Florah Kunene (90), who has waited a long time for  this money, said she is happy to have finally received  it, even though she had lost hope. Reminiscing about  the days they relocated to Sithembile, she said the  first day she arrived in the house, where she still lives  with her grandchildren, there was sand in every  room. “We had to remove it ourselves. Only the kitchen seemed to be in good state.

The other rooms were filled with soil. We had no  choice but to get on a truck with our belongings to  this new area. I was so heartbroken but could not do  anything about it. Moving to Sithembile was the  beginning of a hard life and the abuse from the then  apartheid government. There was no longer peace.”

Kenneth Khumalo added: “We would come back home from work running because were chased by dogs in town and sometimes we were running away from white children because they would beat you for no reason. We lived a life that was totally different from what we were used to on the old stands.”
Alzina Khumalo said since they were placed in the small houses with small yards, planting was something they were not eager to do anymore because there was not enough space.