Programme director
MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural development: Hon. Mr Norman Shushu
The Executive Mayor of John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality: Hon. SB Gaobusiwe
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on Agriculture, Land Reform & Rural Development: Hon. Thukelwa Chotelo
Regional Land Claims Commissioner: Mr Sidney Hlongwane
Chairperson of the Gatlhose Claimants Committee and your committee members
Our VVIP (Morafe wa Gatlhose)
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
The struggles over land and its outcomes – in this country, have played a very central role in the subjugation, oppression and underdevelopment of millions of people in South Africa. Both the colonialists as well as the apartheid government used land dispossessions to remove Black South Africans form their fertile land to sterile, barren land, transformed proud, independent and self-sufficient communities to status of poverty, dependence and abject poverty.
It was therefore not coincidental that the post-apartheid, democratic government identified land reform not only as national priority but also a national reconciliation project! Restitution of land rights was meant specifically to address these injustices of the past-land dispossession.
Our his shows how land was grabbed from black people without any mercy, and how apartheid laws and practices made sure that black people had no rights own any land in this county. These land dispossessions hurt Black communities where it hurts most. As you all know, for black people, land was everything – black people were farmers, used land for ploughing and for grazing their livestock; land was more than an asset – it was symbolic, generational link as it was passed from one generation to the other; at a symbolic level, it linked the living to their ancestors. Land for Black South Africans was thus more than a mere commodity!
Our specific mandate, as a department, is to ensure that such past injustices are compensated for – whether by enabling communities to return to the land of their ancestors, or by providing alternative redress in a form of either alternative land or financial compensation.
Today we are here to keep that promise to the Gatlhose community, which was also a victim of land dispossession. Their journey to this day was a long, excruciating one.
As we celebrate with the Gatlhose community, we also commemorate their steadfastness against the might, the cruelty and the mercilessness they endured at the hands of the apartheid policies and practices when they were disposed of their land rights in the 1979s.
The consolidation of the homeland policy, the identification of the “reserve” as a black spot and the establishment of the Lohatla Battle School (which was to assist in the illegitimate cross border raids meted against our neighbouring countries by the apartheid government) had painful consequences and impact on the Maremanes and the Gatlhoses communities. The Maremanes lost 12 175, 5658 hectares of their whilst the Gatlhoses lost 49 778, 5658 hectares of theirs, in what was then known as the Maremane-Gatlhose Native Reserve located at the Tsantsabane Local Municipality in the Siyanda District.
Again – land was more than just commodity! Therefore, the Maremanes and the Gatlhoses lost more than land – social cohesion within these communities was irrevocably disintegrated; their dreams for future were shattered and inevitably it will take years to regain the dignity they had as cohesive communities.
The two communities lodged their claim, which is a vast land currently being used as a military training centre by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
During the removals, the Gatlhose community was relocated approximately 250km into the former Bophuthatswana homeland because of their Tswana ancestry origin.
The Gatlhose community had opted for the restoration of land rights at the Battle School, but the courts ruled that this was not possible as this land was contaminated with unexploded ordinances which will be impossible and costly to clear with a 100 % assurance for human settlement.
In 1999 the Ministry for Agriculture and Land Affairs approved the settlement options and monetary value of the claim. These settlement options were: allocation of alternative state land, payment of financial compensation, equitable redress and additional benefits. In 2002 the Land Claims Court had declared that the restoration of the land was not feasible and the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld the ruling that the community of Gatlhose is not entitled to restoration of the original land.
A memorandum of understanding was entered into between the Regional Land Claims Commission and the representatives of the Gatlhose Community; this agreement makes provisions for a memorandum between the State and the claimant communities to settle their claim by means of equitable redress.
The State has acquired approximately 11 200 hectares for the Maremane community only. However the 1018 households from the Gatlhose community residing in Slough, Bendell, Postmasburg, Batlharos, Deorham, Bakhara Bodulong, Mothibistad and other places in South Africa, could not benefit from the Restitution process due to unavailability of land as a result of newly discovered mining activities in and around Kuruman and Postmansburg vicinity.
The Gatlhose Community in the different locations have opted for a combination of financial compensation, alternative land for agricultural purposes, housing development and development of infrastructure like schools and clinics. Out of 1018 households, 638 opted for financial compensation and 380 have opted for resettlement.
I am aware of your hardship and years of impatience with regard to years of delayed settlement of your claim. I am aware that in 2004/05 your impatience grew high such that you decided to vacate your homes in your current location to swat next to Lohatla Military Training Centre. At that time government was trying its best to resolve your claim however it is worth mentioning that due to the mining rush that I alluded to above your claim could not be resolved.
I am happy to be here today, to announcer that your government cares and it committed to deliver to you at all times. Remember at the beginning of this administration, we said “Working together we can do more” and indeed we are doing more together.
I am told by the Commissioner for Free State and Northern Cape thathe met with your claimant committee on three occasions, were he committed himself that your claim was going to be resolved. At that time the Commissioner and your claimant committee has shared tasks in order to resolve your claim. Again, if it was not for that partnership we all were not going to be here today. As I said earlier that together we can do more.
This is how your claim is being resolved.
Approval for the settlement of the first phase of the Gathlose Community Claim has been granted for financial compensation to the tune of R35 540 428 million. I am here today to hand over vouchers to the deserving claimants who opted for financial compensation. Those of you who opted for land restoration the department of Rural Development and Land Reform has transferred R59,5 million on 30 November 2010 to Koikanyang Trust account for the purchase of your alternative land. I am hoping that the latter will purchase no less than 17 000 hectares of land which will be the full and the final award for the resolution of your claim.
By resolving this claim the department will be responding to national programmes that seek to alleviate poverty through integrated sustainable development to better the socio-economic needs of rural communities.
Since 1994 the government has put the land issue as one of the foremost urgent matters which needs to be addressed, and over the last 16 years the government has formulated policies to make sure that this objective is not only achieved but it is done in such a way that it creates less tension among the peoples of this country, the present landowners and the victims.
We are here today to celebrate another milestone in the land reform issue, and needless to say as the government and the citizens of this country we rejoice with these communities who at last have managed to get their dignity and respect back.
We know financial compensation will never ever replace the horrible treatment that you endured when you were chased from your land and the humiliation of being landless and living as fugitives in the country of your birth. We remain committed fast-tracking the finalisation of all outstanding claims.
Finally, as households please make better use of the compensation that you have been rewarded with, because it does not only reflects the acknowledge your years of suffering, but also gives you a chance to create a better life for you and the generations to come.
Invest it in the education of your children, start small businesses, build or renovate your homes, erect tombstones for your beloved ones. When the coming generation is told about the pains you have been through, make it also possible for them to see how you were compensated and how wisely invested such financial compensation.
Let me also take this opportunity to wish you a merry Christmas as it is around the corner.
Pula, Nala le Masego a Kresemose.
Kea Leboga!!
For more information:
Vuyani Nkasayi
Cell: 082 307 6773/083 579 1516
