The government has officially taken the first step in the issue of land reform. No longer is the hope of land reform an empty promise.
This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa handing over 4 000 hectares of land to the KwaMkhwanazi community in Empangeni, northern KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday (October 14).
Ramaphosa says the successful land claim is the first in a pilot programme, where the government addresses the so-called land issue with vigour. This is because the government is now able to deal with the land situation and is doing so with speed.
But why start with the KwaMkwanzi community?
The KwaMkwanazi community was moved twice from their land in the past. The first time the enforcement of the 1913 Land Act to make way for returning World War I soldiers.
Then during the 1940s, the community had to make way for commercial timber and sugarcane farms.
Ramaphosa claims history is now in the making, as the government commences mass land distribution in our country. There are allegedly another 25 to 27 communities which will benefit from the restitution process.
The restitution process is one aspect of the land reform situation.
As the government prepares to intensify the implementation of land reform programmes, Ramaphosa emphasises the importance of citizens taking an interest in what is happening.
The KwaMkwanzai community will receive title deeds and other support to help harness the potential of the land. Ramaphosa says this is one of the steps in correcting the errors of the past and returning the land to its rightful owners.
With the new development in the land reform process, what are your thoughts? How do you feel about the redistribution of land? Share your views with us in the comments section below.
