Decades after being dispossessed of their land through racially discriminatory laws, policies and practices of the past, the Ncora community in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape, is set to regain ownership this week when government hands over title deeds to the community.
Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso will on Friday, 31 July 2026, officially hand over a title deed to the Ncora community within the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality, marking a significant milestone in the restoration of land rights to the community.
According to the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, the community lost its land rights through the implementation of the so-called Betterment Policy, which reduced indigenous land ownership rights to a mere "Permission to Occupy" status.
The dispossession occurred in phases during 1964 and 1972 through the implementation of the Native Trust and Land Act, 1936 (Act No. 18 of 1936), which further entrenched the objectives of the Land Act, 1913 (Act No. 27 of 1913).
The construction of the Ncora Irrigation Scheme in 1972 resulted in the removal of villages from their residential and arable land, while other areas were reduced to accommodate infrastructure associated with the scheme, including canals, dairy parlours, underground water pipelines, silos, factories, administration buildings and staff accommodation.
Through the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights, the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development successfully settled the community's land claim, with beneficiaries opting for the restoration of their land rights as the preferred form of redress.
The department said the title deed handover coincides with South Africa's commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Constitution and reflects the enduring values and aspirations enshrined in the nation's supreme law.
“Rooted in the transformative vision of the Constitution, the Land Restitution Programme remains one of the South African Government's most enduring nation-building initiatives, through the restoration of land rights and dignity to individuals and communities dispossessed under racially discriminatory laws,” the department said in a statement.
Nyhontso will be joined by Members of the Executive Council (MECs), including executive mayors, traditional leaders, and senior government officials at the handing-over ceremony to take place at the Ncora Irrigation Scheme in Cofimvaba. – SAnews.gov.za
