C Dowry: Handover of project to Oak View Village Trust

24 November 2006

Geagte Programdirekteur, Agbare Burgemeester Jeff Swarts, Mnr Terrence Fife,
ander senior amptenare, begunstigdes van hierdie projek, dames en here,

Baie dankie vir die uitnodiging om hierdie geleentheid by te woon en
daardeur ook deel te wees van nog ‘n stukkie geskiedenis wat in die
grondhervormingsprogram in die Wes-Kaap geskryf word.

Die afgelope twee weke was werklik waar 'n tydperk van hoogtepunte en
laagtepunte vir ons in landbou. Twee Saterdae gelede het ons ‘n wonderlike
ervaring gehad waar ons nie minder nie as agt bemagtigingsprojekte aan
plaaswerkers oorhandig het waar hulle nou ook volwaardig deel sal hê aan
dieselfde boerdery-aktiwiteite waar hulle tot nou toe net werkers was.

Die Maandagoggend is ons almal geruk deur die grusame ongeluk waarin
plaaswerkers hulle lewe verloor het op pad werk toe. In die twee weke tot nou
toe het ons as provinsie en landbougemeenskap gewys dat elkeen vir ons
belangrik is in hierdie groter familie. Die Regering van die Wes-Kaap, private
ondernemings, die breë gemeenskap en die Landbougemeenskap het onmiddellik
gereageer om die groot verlies vir die agtergeblewenes sowel as die
geaffekteerde persone so lig as moontlik te maak.

Die fonds wat deur Agri Wes-Kaap in die lewe geroep is, staan nou al ver oor
die R250 000. Ons het vanoggend kospakkies aan die naasbestaandes en
oorlewendes oorhandig wat deur 'n kettingwinkel geskenk is, en so is daar nog
verskeie ander vorme van hulp wat besig is om beslag te kry. Môre en Sondag
word die laaste slagoffers van die ramp op verskeie plekke te ruste gelê.

In die Wes-Kaap wil ons hê dat die woorde “Waardigheid, Billikheid en
Welvaart" nie net dooie woorde sal wees nie, maar dat 'n lewende werklikheid
vir elke inwoner van hierdie provinsie sal wees in ons strewe om 'n tuiste vir
almal in die Wes-Kaap te skep. Binne-in hierdie proses is dit egter so dat ons
as regering dit nie alles alleen kan doen nie, maar het ons almal se
samewerking nodig om die ongeregtighede van die verlede aan te spreek as ons
werklik ernstig is om armoede te bestry, ongelykhede uit te wis en sodoende die
kwaliteit van lewe van al die mense in die provinsie te verbeter.

Hierdie tuiste wat die regering wil skep vir almal, beteken ook dat ons
projekte soos hierdie waarby u betrokke is in ons gemeenskappe wil vestig om u
deel te laat hê aan welvaart wat ons in die provinsie wil skep. Dit beteken ook
dat elkeen 'n blyplek van sy eie sal hê waarop hy of sy trots kan wees. Dit
beteken ook dat baie van u wat u lewe hier deurgebring het nie hiervandaan hoef
pad te gee nie.

Die afgelope paar maande was daar toenemende voorvalle rondom uitsettings en
die hele kwessie van verblyfreg. Ek het selfs so ver gegaan as om die nasionale
Minister van Landbou te versoek om 'n moratorium te plaas op uitsettings van
plase af asook 'n hersiening van die uitbreiding van verblyfsekerheid-wetgewing
(Extension of Security of Tenure Act of ESTA).

People could ask us what is so wonderful about this project? Let me tell
you.

Mouton's Valley is a deciduous fruit farm in the Piketberg area that
produces mainly apples, pears, citrus, nectarines and peaches.

At a time when some landowners opted to empower their workers with shares,
Mouton's Valley Trust decided to give their workers something much more
permanent 'n their own house. A process was started with a consultant, Johann
Hamman, to draw up a business plan. This plan was later submitted to the
Department of Land Affairs and finally approved 10 June 2001. In October 2005,
65 applicants from the Oakview Village Trust received a housing subsidy from
the Department of Land Affairs.

This project is in compliance with Chapter 2 Sections 4(2)(a) to (e) of the
Extension of Security of Tenure Act, 1997, which lays down the requirements to
which ESTA development projects should adhere.

As some time had lapsed since the Business Plan was approved, certain
changes to the project have taken place, making it necessary to effect certain
amendments to the Business Plan. The changes are as follows:
* The project consisted of 65 (sixty-five) applicants residing on the property
in question. Although the numbers have not changed, the composition of the
group is now different as new applicants replaced some beneficiaries initially
on the list.
* The Oakview Village Trust was formed, with trustees representing both the
beneficiary community and the owner of the Mouton’s Valley. As co-trustees of
the Oakview Village Trust, the owner and the beneficiaries have joint say and
responsibility over both the improved portions/erven and the unimproved
portions/erven comprising the ‘little town’, and decision-making is based on
consensus.

In terms of land management arrangements, the beneficiary community tenure
arrangements are as follows:

Individual ownership of plots and houses; the registration of the Oakview
Village Trust which holds title on behalf of the beneficiaries for all communal
areas such as roads, recreational and other facilities. Individuals have title
to their own individual erven.

The land transferred to the Oakview Village trust is described as Portion 2
of the Farm Mouton’s Valley A No. 80 situated in Berg River Municipality,
Division Piketberg, Province of the Western Cape. This portion is 16.3265 ha in
extent.

Along with the portions/erven for the beneficiaries who have to move from
another part of the farm, and the portions/erven for those who would only
acquire unimproved portions/erven (portions/erven without houses being built
for them at this point), 16 (sixteen) additional portions/erven that are not
originally allocated to anyone in particular, are proposed in the new partition
plan, with the provision that the land will be developed for
permanent/long-term settlement of farm workers who qualify in terms of ESTA.
This has been provided for in the terms of the Trust Deed of the Oakview
Village Trust. Altogether there will be 31 (thirty one) additional unimproved
portions/erven provided, on which houses will be built at a later stage. As
already mentioned, these additional portions/erven are to be transferred to the
Oakview Village Trust, which has representatives of both the beneficiary
community and the owner of the farm serving on the Trust.

At the time of the original agreement, the houses were to be sold at their
replacement value. However, in order for the workers to afford the houses, as
well as the land on which the houses are built, the owner has elected not to
amend the replacement value to its current value.

In an effort to address these budgetary impediments, the landowner agreed
that the outstanding debt/ balance owed on the houses be ‘worked off’. The
outstanding debt is to be worked off per household at R5 000.00 (five thousand
rand) per annum per subsidy beneficiary. The settling of the highest
outstanding debt will take approximately 14 (fourteen) years to ‘work off’,
while the lowest outstanding debt will take three years to settle. The average
period for the group to ‘work off’ this balance is 10 (ten) years.

Ek wil dankie sê vir almal wat deel gehad het daaraan om van hierdie projek
sover ‘n sukses te maak, maar ek wil ook in dieselfde asem vir die begunstigdes
vra om hierdie bates wat julle nou bekom het, op te pas en te versorg sodat
julle kinders en hulle kinders ook voordeel daaruit kan trek.

Enquiries: Alie van Jaarsveld
Spokesperson: Ministry of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial Government
Cell: 084 604 6701
Tel: (021) 483 4930
Fax: (021) 483 3890
E-mail: avjaarsv@pgwc.gov.za

Issued by: Ministry of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial Government
24 November 2006