By Maile Matsimela
The Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso, along with KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa, officially handed over more than 2 000 hectares of land to the community of KwaMathonsi near KwaDukuza on Monday 19 May.
The land consists of a sugarcane plantation that yields over 60 000 tonnes of sugarcane per season. The claimant community consists of 179 households, representing approximately 575 beneficiaries.
Mthethwa urged beneficiaries to preserve the land they have been granted and ensure it is productive, creates employment opportunities and promotes sustainability in the agricultural sector.
Furthermore, she reiterated the Department would work closely with the beneficiaries to equip them with necessary skills.
“We have extension officers deployed in this area and in each ward to oversee and facilitate skills development, ensuring the programme continues. I am pleased that over 200 people are now permanently employed, which will benefit the economy of the Ilembe District,” said the MEC.
Minister Nyhontso said the community lodged a claim before 31 December 1998. “Today we are here to restore that land back to them and hand over the title deed. Not only that, but we are also here with what we call development support grant, which is R25 million to make sure that these people are also able to have resources to develop the very same land,” said the minister.
KaMadlopha-Mthethwa added this was a unique historical event where a chief is the claimant on behalf of his community. “For that alone, it shows there is no one who is going to sell the land and I am confident these communities are going to make sure they are not going to sell the land. There is also a committee with a CEO looking after the estate on behalf of chief.”
She said the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will be making sure to follow the process and the programme. “We are here because we have a very strong relationship with the chief and we have an obligation to make sure each and every piece of land produces something that is going to assist in the agricultural development.”
The community also received four tractors from the government to boost agricultural production.
