The government has returned more than 627 hectares of land in Mpumalanga to its rightful custodians after it was appropriated under the apartheid regime around 1934, reaffirming its commitment to land restitution.
“The return of this land, therefore, embodies the restoration of identity, a sense of belonging, and opportunities for the family that was dispossessed,” Deputy President Paul Mashatile said on Friday.
The significant milestone in the journey of the Mtshoeni/Mtsweni family, also known as the Schulk Marhiqa Communal Property Association (CPA), was marked by the handover ceremony of the land and title deeds. The event was attended by the Deputy President and the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso.
The family initiated a claim to restore their ancestral land in 1998 - a process that entailed extensive years of investigation, negotiation, and even personal sacrifice.
The Schulk Marhiqa CPA is already farming 100 hectares of maize and 30 hectares of soybeans, alongside livestock.
With the support of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development and partners such as the South African Grain Farmers Association (SAGRA), the Deputy President said this community is positioned to thrive and prosper.
“Government is pleased that post-settlement support has provided tractors, planters, trailers and livestock. More importantly, it has created jobs, built skills, and opened pathways for youth and women to participate in agriculture. This is economic empowerment in action,” he said.
On a broader scale, the government is facilitating community land management through Communal Property Associations (CPAs).
On October 9, 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Communal Property Associations Amendment Bill, which modifies the 1996 Communal Property Associations Act.
These amendments aim to enhance the rights of community members involved in CPAs and clarify their objectives, establishing that land ownership lies with the residents who are part of these associations, as opposed to the associations themselves.
“Government is leveraging land redistribution to rectify historical injustices while concurrently promoting agricultural production, stimulating rural economies, and generating employment opportunities.
"By employing rights-based interventions and addressing disparities in ownership and wealth distribution, the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme is striving to improve living conditions and welfare, effectively rectifying past injustices," the Deputy President said.
In the late 1700s, the family of Mtshoeni settled in Grootvlei in Mpumalanga.
The household of the family was led by Schulk Ngazimbi Marhiqa Mtshoeni, who owned a large portion of land before it was appropriated under the Natives Land Act of 1913 and allocated to the Frans Herbs family.
“Baba Marhiqa was recognised as one of the most successful farmers, cultivating maize, corn, and raising herds of cattle and sheep. Around 1934, the farm was taken from him, and the Herbs family entered into an agreement to cultivate maize and corn, with the profits shared equally.
“The Native Land Act resulted in significant socio-economic consequences for his descendants, who were relegated to the status of farm workers, lost their livestock, and were deprived of their rightful inheritance, reflecting the broader impact of systemic land dispossession on indigenous populations,” the Deputy President said.
He emphasised that each hectare restored is not only a stride toward healing, but a living testament to justice fulfilled.
“As we hand over these title deeds, we affirm that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. We affirm that dignity denied can be dignity restored. And we affirm that the promise of our Constitution, to heal the divisions of the past and build a united, prosperous future, is alive here in Grootvlei, and it will continue to spread across all corners of South Africa.
“Each title deed handed over is a promise kept by our democratic government, a covenant between the democratic state and its people,” the Deputy President said.
He highlighted that these title deeds are the direct consequence of honouring land restitution rights.
“For thirty years, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights has stood as a pillar of transformation, steadfast in its mission to heal the wounds of our past. Today’s celebration is living proof that restitution is practical, that it is empowering, and it is nation‑building.
“We are pleased to note that your story as the Mtshoeni family does not conclude with the event of human rights abuse related to dispossession. Instead, your narrative aligns with the sentiments of many South Africans who assert that our collective story must evolve beyond a history of exclusion, especially now that there exists a democratic dispensation in which there is a mechanism for restoration through land restitution,” Mashatile said. -SAnews.gov.za
