L Xingwana: Tenbosch land handover celebration

19 June 2007

Programme Director
The MEC for Agriculture and Land Administration Ms Dinah Pule
The MEC for Public Works Mr Madala Masuku
Executive Mayor for Enhlanzeni Municipality, Councillor Khosi Mkhonto
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Selby Khumalo
Executive Mayor for the Mbombela Municipality, Councillor Justice
Nsibande
Executive Mayor for Emakhazeni, Councillor Linkie Mohlala
All Strategic Partners for the communities, Mr Ian Lourens, Umlimi
Henrob and Associates and Transvaal Suiker Beperk (TSB)
All the Dignitaries present here today
The Chief Land Claims Commissioner, Mr Thozi Gwanya
Mpumalanga Land Claims Commissioner, Mr Peter Mhangwani
Claimants as well as beneficiaries
Members of the media
Distinguished guests

Halala boMastandi base Tenbosch, Halala!
Ubuyile Umhlaba, Ubuyile!

Today, 19 June 2007, marks 94 years anniversary since the promulgation of
the Native Land Act of 1913 by the previous government. It was through this
piece of legislation and other similar laws that the majority of the black
people in this country were dispossessed of their land rights by the apartheid
government.

What we are witnessing here today is an act of redress by the new government
to the four communities. In the words of the former President of South Africa
Nelson Mandela, we are saying today: Never and never again shall the laws of
our land rend our people apart or legalise their oppression and repression. The
constitution of this country makes provision for the protection of basic human
rights for every citizen of this country, and that includes the right to
land.

Comrade President Thabo Mbeki in his speech: 'I am an African', calls us not
to shy away from the horrendous actions perpetuated against our people in the
past. It is important to remember what happened in the past, the injustices
meted out against the black man in this country, as Comrade President says; our
reflection on the past should teach all of us not to be inhuman again. I want
to say to the four communities, the African National Congress (ANC) led
government is committed to ensure that the wrongs of the past are corrected,
and that there is redress for the victims of racially motivated land
dispossessions. The land belongs to all who work on it.

It is befitting that today we celebrate the 'return of the land' to the
Lugedlane; Siboshwa; Hhoyi; and Mbambiso communities who were dispossessed of
their land rights in 1954 in line with the Native Land Act of 1913. We commend
the four chiefs and the members of the community who lodged a claim with the
Commission for the restoration of their land rights. We also thank you for your
patience as you waited for what is rightfully yours to be restored.

The settlement of this claim serves as a remarkable milestone in the history
of the Restitution programme since 1995. We are handing over a massive 32 000
hectares of highly commercial land to the four communities. The total land that
is being handed over is valued in excess of R1 billion. This will benefit about
10 000 beneficiaries.

I am announcing that the 4 000 households of the Lugedlane community will
receive 7 900 hectares to the value of R162 million, the 3 500 households of
the Siboshwa community will receive 11 900 hectares to the value R354 million,
the 1 300 households of the Hhoyi community will receive 5 000 hectares to the
value of R269 million and the 900 households of the Mbambiso community will
receive 557 hectares to the value of R40 million.

For those who do not believe our process, they must ask these land owners;
we are paying market related prices which are fair prices, we are not grabbing
the land and I want to assure those who support us that they have got room for
future development as was demonstrated by these land owners who are part of
this process.

I am pleased to note that 50% of the benefiting households are female-headed
households. It is crucial that the women are not marginalised and that they
also must benefit significantly from the economic benefits that flows out of
the settlement of this claim. As the old saying goes: You educate a woman, you
educate the nation, you feed a woman, you feed the nation. Let the women be
represented in all the decision making processes regarding settlement support
for this claim.

I am pleased with the commitment shown by TSB, Mr Ian Lourens and the others
to offer settlement support to the new land owners. The involvement of such
stakeholders will help to ensure that there is sustainability for the land
reform projects and initiatives. We need more strategic partners to come on
board and assist the new land owner and ensure that women in particular,
benefit from the restored land.

I want to express my serious concern about those land owners who are not
coming to the party and who are delaying the restitution process. We have spent
a lot of time on these negotiations and time is running out. The President has
instructed us to settle all outstanding claims in this coming year 2008, these
land owners are leaving us with no option but to consider expropriation. As you
may know, we have said that we will not negotiate for more than six months and
I have instructed my officials in this province to implement the provisions of
the Constitution and Restitution Act and start with expropriation processes
here.

The claimant communities arrived in the land in 1924 from Gomondwane in the
Kruger National Park area. They have been occupying the claimed land from that
time on until they were dispossessed of their land rights by the previous
government. As it was the practice of the previous government, the communities
did not receive just and equitable compensation for their loss. The
dispossession of land rights stripped the community of their dignity and
rendered them landless and second class citizens in the country of their
birth.

This democratic government is serious about land reform. The Commission on
Restitution of Land Rights has to date settled a total of 74 417 claims since
1995. This constitutes more than 90% of the 79 676 claims lodged with the
Commission by the cut off date of 31 December 1998. In its endeavour to reverse
the negative impact of the racially motivated land dispossessions perpetuated
by the previous government, the department has delivered approximately 4
million hectares of land into black hands since 1994 through the government's
land reform programmes.

There are about 5 279 claims that are still outstanding. Some of these
outstanding claims will be difficult to finalise by 2008 due to a number of
reasons including among others; challenges with claims were there are boundary
disputes involving Traditional Leaders; Untraceable claimants; as well as cases
that have been referred to the Land Claims Court for adjudication.

We are engaging with the various relevant stakeholders such as the
Traditional Leadership, Agricultural Organisations, non-government
organisations (NGOs), State department, etc in order to fast-track the
finalization of outstanding claims.

Settlement support is crucial for the success of the land reform programme;
the department is engaging stakeholders in the government and private sector to
solicit support and reinforcement of the settlement support offered to land
reform beneficiaries. During our meeting with the Council on International
Educational Exchange (CIEE) last week Wednesday at the University of Pretoria,
we challenged the research institutions and NGOs to be active participants in
the country's land reform programme. We asked the institutions to assist
government in ensuring that the beneficiaries of land reform programmes are
adequately skilled to make optimal use of the highly commercial land
transferred to them, such as the one that we are transferring today.

My department is pleased with the Constitutional Court ruling regarding the
Popela land claim in the Limpopo province. We are happy that the Constitutional
court ruled in favour of the nine individual families on the matter regarding
their tenancy rights claim. This is victory for the victims of land in terms of
dealing with claims for tenancy rights which have in many instances,
particularly in this area, been disputed by the land owners. We will no longer
tolerate any of the delaying tactics that we have been experiencing on the part
of some of the land owners. We do not have time to play games. The President
wants us to conclude this matter by 2008. We therefore call on all the land
owners, especially in the Mpumalanga area who are disputing the validity of the
claims for tenancy rights, to come forward and make land available for the
settlement of restitution claims in order for us to conclude this process.

Congratulations to the new land owners. I encourage you to work and use the
land in a sustainable manner that will improve the livelihood of every
community member in this area, by so doing; you will silence the critical
voices of the doomsayers who are saying that black people cannot farm. We know
the truth; our forefathers lived from the produce of the land long before the
forced removals took place. Work together with the local government structures.
I wish you prosperity in all that you do.

Ubuyile!
Umhlaba!
Igama lamakhosikazi!
Malibongwe!

I thank you.

Issued by: Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs
19 June 2007