March 2023
@OfficialDRTO DATHE R HERALD AND THE DAILY DISPATCH SUPPLEMENT
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Bhizana village of Izinini finally receives title deeds The community of Izinini village in Bhizana was overjoyed when they received title deeds for their land from minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development Thoko Didiza. Their 1,282ha of land was wrongfully seized by the apartheid regime. Didiza was in the village to officially hand over the title deeds, which will benefit 1,279 households and a total of 1,300 beneficiaries. Their land claim was approved by the government in 2016 and they received a settlement of R22m for that part of the land that could not be reinstated, which included the area where the Bhizana CBD was built. The government gave the community a further R5.1m for the operation of their forestry business now covering 581ha of this land. Their enterprise, Izinini CPA, which employs 58 people in permanent jobs, makes a gross annual income of R14.6m through the sale of logs harvested from their land to Sappi in an offtake agreement. Dumisani Siyele, chair of the Izinini Community Property Association, which is hailed as a top-performing community property association, signed the title deed on behalf of the community and said they felt fortunate to have seen this day. Siyele said: “Others who started this land claim couldn’t live to see this beautiful day. We are thankful to the government. We have a project to fight poverty and underdevelopment where youth are employed. Let’s respect the land and use it for more development that will assist even unborn children.” Headman Mandisi Ndunge said: “There has been an outcry about the lack of the title deed. This is the biggest thing. It gives us legal rights and confirms that this land belongs to us. I don’t have many words of appreciation. I am just so very happy today. It has been a long journey but today the land is legally ours!” Sappi general manager Sandile Nkosi said they were committed to work with government and communities to foster self-development. “This is one of the best projects in the country. In some instances it’s hard to work with many people, but here they work together. Izinini has no loan like other growers in our Khulisa programme. Our products are alternatives to plastic so the demand is very high. As Sappi strides to meet the demand, the company is targeting 30,000ha in the Eastern Cape and we will achieve that sustainable development when we work together.”
Izinini Community Property Association chairperson Dumisani Siyele, DRDAR MEC, Nonkqubela Pieters and Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza lift aloft the title deed confirming ownership of 1 282 hectares of land successfully claimed by Izinini community through the land claims process. The CPA uses some of this land for commercial forestry production and sell their logs to SAPPI.
Izinini is one of the forestry businesses which is rightfully theirs.” supported by the department of rural develShe said if communities which continued opment and agrarian reform through its entity to fight each other slowed down developthe Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency ment, they could lose out. to commercialise forestry production in the “You should know that you are the owners province. Since 2013, the agency has invested more than R21m in the business in training, buying new trees, vehicles and administration services to assist the enterprise with improved operations and production. MEC Nonkqubela Pieters said government had uplifted community of Izinini village through the support provided by government institutions to their business. “It’s with delight that we are here today to finish this programme of development. It’s my experience that CPAs and chiefs are fighting in such a way that development stalls, hence I appreciate the unity displayed here,” said Pieters. Didiza said: “Financial compensation has been granted here but there are those families who have not benefited because of family feuds. I urge those families to reach an agreement and approach the committee so that the department can pay their compensation,
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Young clerk says business growth brings new life to Mkhambathi The growth of business at Mkhambathi Game Reserve and Forestry is addressing the problem of unemployment in the rural areas, especially in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality. This is the view of Luyanda Mvumbi, 26, who is employed as an administration clerk at the Mkhambathi Trust. He expressed joy at being one of the young people employed by the trust that runs the game reserve and forestry business, which is supported by the government “The growth of the business means a lot because as it
LUYANDA MVUMBI
expands, we are able to accommodate more people. It means unemployment in the rural areas is being addressed and people become more united,” Mvumbi said.
of these things and today I say, let’s stick together so that we can see development. Don’t disappoint us. We want growth and when I come here again, I don’t want to see destruction of these economic activities,” she said.
He said his job was to look after operations for the enterprises, using the skills he gained at school to ensure its smooth running. “I feel very happy to be employed here. I started with going to school, then came back to apply the skills I acquired. “I’m now able to manage the operations here because of the project management course I did,” Mvumbi said. He is also proud of being employed in Mkhambathi. He now know its history, which includes the land forcefully taken from the community by the apartheid regime.
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