The matter bears reference; “The land shall be shared amongst those who work it!”
Despite significant progress made over the last 15 years, people living in rural areas continue to face the harshest conditions of poverty, lack of access to land and basic services. The government is committed to a comprehensive and clear rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform, improvement of the conditions of farm workers and farm-dwellers and builds the potential for rural sustainable livelihoods.
It is absurd to learn that when the chairperson of Pniel Communal Property Association, Mr Cornelius Solomons is resigning, he chooses cheap rhetoric and apportions blame to senior government officials both at a provincial and national government without evidence to substantiate his allegations. His failure to account for stolen machinery to the tune of R90 000 as well as the game fence that is vandalised leaves much to be desired. As a custodian of the property, he must be the one who must provide clarity to the matter, not to lament on the media and play innocent.
In 2005/06, the Pniel Communal Property Association executive entered into contractual agreements with third parties and the so called strategic partner Mr Derek Corns against the advice given by the organs of state. It was clear that the Pniel Communal Property Association did not have capacity to undertake the procurement responsibilities, since most of the members were senior citizens with little knowledge in dealing with business transactions and investments.
Despite all the efforts and advice by the organs of state, the Pniel Communal Property Association executive led by Cornelius Solomon, proceeded in entering multi-lateral agreements that gave the so called strategic partner exclusive rights to the business usage, that is: extraction of diamonds of the entire land for the next 25 years and only benefitting the few fat cats who are sitting in the Pniel Communal Property Association. This was a bad move as well as a sell out of rural motive forces to monopoly capital whose interests is of amassing wealth while the majority of the claimants live in abject poverty, degradation and squalor.
Now, it is neither here nor there, and it will be disingenuous for Mr Solomon to suggest that political thug is at play; people must tell no lies and claim easy victories. Furthermore, it was quite clear that the Pniel Communal Property Association executive did not apply their minds before signing these agreements, theirs was about get rich quick and over stepped their mandate by not getting community resolutions for agreements that were made.
In conclusion, we support all forms of investigations by law enforcement agencies into the affairs of the property and hope that all the interventions shall focus on changing the lives of the poor.
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Northern Cape Provincial Government
1 March 2010
Source: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Northern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.agrinc.gov.za/)
