Speech by KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Mr Cyril Xaba for the Amangcolosi land restitution official title deeds handover at Kranskop Primary School
Program Directors,
Advocate Bheki Mbili and Linda Sibiya Inkosi N. Bhengu of the Ngcolosi Tribal Authority Chief Land Claims Commissioner,
Ms Nomfundo Ntloko-Gobodo Umzinyathi District Mayor,
Councillor L Ngubane Mayor of Umvoti,
Councillor T. Ngubane Mayor of Illembe,
Councillor SW Mdabe
Chairperson of the AmaNgolosi Trust,
Mr Xulu Trustees of the AmaNgolosi Trust CEO of Ithuba Agriculture,
Mr S. Dlamini
Special Guests of the Trust Members of the AmaNgolosi Community
Ladies and Gentlemen
Halala to the AmaNgcolosi Community of Kranskop Halala! You are leading the way and showing the province of KwaZulu-Natal and the whole country how the land reform process can be an outstanding success. This a momentous occasion to celebrate your long journey and to formally handover the title deeds to your land. You started with nothing and overcame many difficulties to build up one of the most successful farming enterprises in the country.
Not only that, the profits from the farm did not go into pockets but were ploughed back to grow the business. It is also being used to improve the lives of the community. The AmaNgcolosi Community Trust as the sole owner of the farming enterprise, known as Ithuba Agriculture has invested in improving the lives of the people of Kranskop. I saw this first hand. On my way here today, I visited Dulumbe Primary school to view the classrooms that were built and donated by the Trust. We stopped at the Lutheran Church built by the Trust as well as the Cattle Dip and the vegetable gardens sponsored by the Ama Ngcolosi Community Trust. One day I hope to attend a soccer tournament organised by the Ithuba Football Association, which was started by the Trust to encourage young people to get involved in sport and to stay away from negative influences. As MEC for KZN Agriculture and Rural Development, I thank you for your vision in providing agricultural bursaries for our young people.
Later in my address I will tell you about an exciting program initiated by the KZN government that involves unemployed agricultural graduates bringing farm land back into production. I hope you and other members of the farming community will get involved with this initiative. To the Trustees, I say, the list of your good deeds is very impressive. Congratulations to all of you for working tirelessly against all challenges and for putting the community first before personal enrichment. You are indeed examples of the kind of caring society that we want to build in South Africa. It is also because of communities like you who have demonstrated what is possible and what can be achieved as a result of land reform, that the ANC Government remains steadfast in its commitment to restoring land that was taken away from our people.
As government, we come under heavy criticism over land reform, but we make no apologies. One has to experience the pain of being dispossessed of land to be able to understand how it takes away one’s humanity. Journalist and author Solomon T. Plaatje published his book Native Life in South Africa as a protest against the Land Act which was passed in 1913. He travelled around the country on a bicycle to research the effects of the new legislation and published his book in 1916. The opening words of the first chapter of this book, are often quoted to show the devastation of the Act. He wrote: “Awaking on Friday morning, June 20, 1913, the South African native found himself, not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth.” I read an interview that the CEO of the Trust’s Ithuba Farming Operation, Mr Sibusiso Dlamini gave to the Mercury in March 2012.
In the article there is a touching part where he pointed out a line of trees to the journalist as the spot where his great grandfather is buried. Mr Dlamini, your Great-Grandfather would have been proud that the community once more owns the land on which he is buried and that you his great-grandson, is no longer a pariah in the land of your birth. I am sure he and the other ancestors of the AmaNgcolosi are even prouder that you are successfully farming the land, just as they did a long time ago. 3 To communities who are still under-going the process of getting their land back, please note that the AmaNgcolosi went through a long and complex process that frustrated both the former land owners and the claimants. The Community never gave up and persevered with their claim. Today the ANC led Government is working on improving the Land reform program to ensure that those who were dispossessed do not have to wait for a long time before getting their land back.
A hold up in many land claims remains the endless negotiation around the willing buyer and willing seller process. The new Bill allows for land to be expropriated for public interest through just and equitable compensation, with the value of the land determined by the ValuerGeneral. Another criticism of the land reform process is the failure of land reform farms, many going from being productive to lying fallow. This is the great success of the AmaNgcolosi Claim in that you have built up a thriving farming enterprise that continues to grow. Ten years on, you are going from strength to strength and from success to success. You did not have an easy time you had the same struggles as many other land claimants, yet you managed to overcome all of these. Ladies and Gentlemen there are many lessons that other land claimants can learn from the AmaNgcolosi Community Trust. As government we also learnt lessons in this process, one of them was that we had been wrong in not giving support to land reform farms. We have corrected this in KwaZulu-Natal by introducing a Strategy for Agrarian Transformation. One of the pillars of the Strategy is the re-captilization and support of land reform farms that have fallen fallow.
My Department together with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform have developed a dedicated support programme to build capacity and empower claimants to farm their land. Let me go back to some of the lessons that other land reform farmers can learn from the AmaNgcolosi Trust.
Right from the start, the Trust set up a system to ensure that the land and the property benefitted all the claimants.
It also ensured transparency and accountability. The Trust holds Annual General Meetings (AGM’s) for the beneficiaries to keep them updated on the management of the land and property. So far, seven AGM’s have been held and minutes are available for all these meetings.
The Trust made every endeavour to resolve conflicts through negotiation and using legitimate legal channels, this meant that it was able to continue with its business of agriculture while at the same time managing the conflict situation, without becoming consumed by it. Another plus is that at all times, the community interest came before personal interest.
I am most impressed that both the Trust and its Agricultural Company Ithuba keep meticulous financial records and their finances are audited annually by a reputable international auditing company. In fact, it was the transparency and good financial record keeping that saved the Trust when it had some challenges from certain alleged unscrupulous individuals. Having good records ensured that the Trust and the Company remained 4 intact. The organisation made sure that its Trustees were empowered by having them attend workshops that touched on areas of leadership, trustee independence, conducting effective Board meetings, conflict management, budgeting and effective writing.
Ithuba also realised it could not go it alone and reached out for help to companies and surrounding farmers. It was indeed pleasing to see that the motto of the organisation is. “Strength in Partnerships.” The mission statement of the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZN DARD) is and I quote: “To promote, through partnerships, sound agricultural practices that promotes economic growth, food security and the advancement of rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal.
Ladies and Gentlemen I am well aware that Ithuba would never have become such a success were it not for the help of it partners and friends, many of whom are present here today. It is wonderful to see the company acknowledge all those who have helped them on their road to success. I want to add my gratitude as well to Mascor agricultural equipment dealership in Greytown; Coastal Farmers, uShukela Milling (now called Gledhow and NCT Forestry Cooperative).
No operation can be a success without a dedicated staff. I thank Mr Dlamini and his team for their outstanding work and commitment to building the farming enterprise. I have one suggestion, that you please post a bigger picture of your team on your website and tell us more about who they are. Once more, well done to the entire Ithuba workforce. Without you, the Trust and the farming operations would not be where it is today. Starting off with nothing, Ithuba Agriculture today is successfully managing about 8 000 hectares of farm land growing sugarcane, maize, timber, kiwi fruit, chillies and leather leaf fern. It has supply agreements with Gledhow Sugar Mill, NCT Forestry Cooperative and neighbouring vegetable farmers. Today the company is an overwhelming success as you have heard during this event. Having started its agriculture business in 2005, four years later in 2009 it was able to pay off its entire capital debt of R10 million for vehicles and agricultural equipment. A year later in 2010, it was able to buy three brand new trucks and trailers to haul sugar cane as well as tractors and bakkies. The company also employs over 300 members of the community with employment numbers growing during harvesting time. I am pleased to note that expansion is on the Trust’s agenda for future plans, with the aims of job creation and there is a commitment to skills training for the youth and the workers on the farm.
If agriculture is to be a catalyst for economic growth then job creation and taking care of our unemployed youth has to be our top priorities. KZN DARD last month launched an Unemployed Agricultural Graduates Program with the aim of getting young people to bring farms, particularly fallow land reform, farms back into production. I want to let farmers know that we have graduates with skills that can help you with your farming business or who are prepared to lease your farms from you. This is an empowerment initiative facilitated by the Department.
The AmaNgcolosi Community Trustees knew that they were not farmers so they went out and got themselves expertise to run their agricultural farmers. Other land reform claimants who have land but lack the skills to be farmers, can approach KZN DARD for skilled graduates to help. Ithuba Agriculture owned by the AmaNgcolosi Community Trust stands out as a role model for land restitution projects. Let us go forward using that model and unemployed graduates to ensure more land reform success stories while at the same time, building our agricultural capacity in this province. Together all of us can do more to build a better KZN and a better South Africa. Once more, well done and Halala to the AmaNgcolosi Community for showing the potential and possibilities for land reform in this country.
I thank you
