‘Land restitution too slow in Ugu’
Approximately 6177 people from the Ndwalane, Mbotho, Juluku, and KwaNzimakwe communities benefitted.
The issue of land restitution is going at a snail’s pace in the Ugu district and the country as a whole.
These were the words of Inkosi Sazi Ndwalane of the Ndwalane Traditional Council who was speaking to Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza on Friday.
Ndwalane said this when Didiza led a title deed handover ceremony in Betania, where approximately 6177 people from the Ndwalane, Mbotho, Juluku, and KwaNzimakwe communities benefitted.
Inkosi Ndwalane told Fever that as much as they are happy that some of the land that was dispossessed has been returned, he is not satisfied.
He said they initially applied for the land to be returned in 1997 but they only received the title deeds in 2010.
“The handover of the title deeds we received in 2010 only happened in August 2022. In 1997, we applied for 37 of our farms to be returned but we have only received two back. Government must speed up the issue of land restitution because there is nothing we can do as black people without land. Back in the day, we used the land for subsistence farming and more. People never went to work. So, we are trying to bring the land back so that it can benefit people,” said Ndwalane.
He added: “A lot of these farms are gazetted so what is holding up the restitution process? As the Ndwalane Traditional Council, we refused to work with white people in our area. We work without help from the government or white people. We started our own businesses so that we can get the capital to invest in our land because when the government gives you land to work on, they do not give us the necessary machinery and equipment.”
Also, Inkosi Bhekizizwe Nzimakwe of the KwaNzimakwe Traditional Council said although it was not easy for them to embark on a joint venture with white people when it comes to their land, they currently have a good working relationship with the people who are operating in KwaNzimakwe.
“Title deeds bring a lot of dignity to our people, we will keep working with white people and the government because they know that the land belongs to us and they are helping us develop the area and our people,” said Nzimakwe.
Meanwhile, Minister Didiza said although they do not have answers as yet for Inkosi Ndwalane on the pace of land restitution, they understand his concerns.
“We are here to wipe tears off on those whose land was dispossessed in an ugly manner and they did not even receive a cent for that land. They were not even given the chance that we have today to raise issues on land restitution. We know that the land we are returning was taken by white people who saw that the land was rich in investments. This was done under the 1913 Natives’ Land Act. This handover of title deeds follows a settlement through the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights which procured the land at a cost of R282 073 169 for the communities,” said Didiza.
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