Deputy President Paul Mashatile: Handover of title deeds to Qelana and Qolombana Communities

Programme Director, Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina; 
Eastern Cape Finance MEC Mvoko, standing for Premier Oscar Mabuyane; 
Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr Mzwanele Nyhontso;
Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Thembi Simelane;
Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr Stanley Mathabatha;
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Ms Nokuzola Capa;
All MECs present;
Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Provincial House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Nkosi M. Gwadiso;
Representative of the King of Amampondomise, King Zwelozuko Luzuko Matiwane; Ah! Zwelozuko!
Executive Mayor of O.R Tambo District Municipality, Cllr. Mesuli Ngqondwana;
Mayor of Kumkani Mhlontlo Local Municipality, Cllr Mbulelo Jara;
Our esteemed Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders present;
Chief Land Claims Commissioner, Ms Nomfundo Ntloko;
Senior Government Officials; 
And even more importantly, our Honoured Beneficiaries from the Qelana and Qolombana communities;
Molweni,

I stand before you today with a heart that is filled with excitement as we celebrate a critical milestone in our path towards advancement, development, and restorative justice.

This day is a strong indicator of the progress our Government has made in restoring land ownership to the historically dispossessed.

As the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture, I want to take this opportunity to appreciate the consistent and determined efforts by the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, in partnership with communities, Traditional Leaders, and our Municipalities, to ensure that the land rights of our people are fully restored.

The handover of title deeds to the Qelana and Qolombana communities will unquestionably impact the course of the lives of its people for future generations to come.

Each of these title deeds represents more than simply a piece of paper; they represent ownership, security, pride and dignity. They embody the rights and advantages that come with being full custodians of this valuable resource: land.
Title deeds provide clear ownership and stable tenure, allowing beneficiaries to use their land and access financial resources profitably. They also act as an official record of property rights, minimising disagreements and streamlining land transactions, helping to promote economic prosperity and social stability.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Land redistribution in South Africa has always been an emotive issue rooted in the history of apartheid and colonial land dispossession. Apartheid laws, especially the Natives Land Act of 1913, severely restricted access to land by Black South Africans.

This Act, coupled with succeeding policies such as the Group Areas Act, systematically deprived Black people of land and its use and benefits. It limited Black people to specific neighbourhoods and remote locations, ultimately establishing a system of racial segregation that resulted in the socio-economic hardships such as poverty and inequality that persist even today.

The dispossession of Qolombana in 1936 and 1963, and the dispossession of Qelana in 1957 and 1963 in particular was not just an act of land theft—it was an assault on identity, family, and heritage. It erased the best means of survival and inherited farming abilities.

Let us bear in mind that prior to colonialism, Black South Africans relied on their own approaches and techniques to cultivate crops such as sorghum and millet, as well as herd animals such as cattle, poultry and sheep peacefully without hindrance. This allowed Black people to establish sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families. It provided food security for many families, and was a source of wealth and established our indigenous economic and cultural systems.

However, when land was taken from Black South Africans during colonialism and apartheid through wars of dispossession, many were forced to work for low wages, typically on white-owned farms and enterprises, sometimes far away from their families.

The absence of land for subsistence or commercial farming forced the majority of Black communities to rely on a parasitic capitalist system that was hostile and disrupted the essence Black families and Black lives.

Following the official end of apartheid in 1994, the newly elected Government sought to redress the unequal distribution of land, largely through land reform, which included redistribution, restitution and tenure security.
Since then, the Government has redistributed 5.3 million hectares of land using a variety of techniques. As a result of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, and Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act of 1996, we have been addressing the issue of agricultural evictions and secure tenure rights for individuals, including through the acquisition of land rights by labour tenants.

Furthermore, through the Farm Dweller Programme, we have been striving to improve the living and working conditions of farm workers and dwellers. This has been accomplished through a variety of interventions, such as housing, municipal services and economic opportunities in agriculture.

We are also helping communities to hold and manage land through Communal Property Associations (CPAs). In this regard, President Cyril Ramaphosa assented to the Communal Property Associations Amendment Bill on 9 October 2024. The new CPA Amendment Act amends the Communal Property Associations Act of 1996.

These amendments seek to provide improved protection of the rights of communities who are part of the Communal Property Associations and to bring clarity to the objective of CPAs.

The law, as amended, now makes it clear that land will be owned by residents who are members of associations, and not by the associations themselves.

Through the Restitution of Land Rights Act, enacted 31 years ago, we are restoring land rights to individuals and communities.

We are using land redistribution not only to address historical injustices but also to foster agricultural production, stimulate rural economies, and create jobs. With the use of rights-based interventions and by addressing unequal patterns of ownership and distribution of wealth and assets, the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme is working to improve living conditions and welfare, as well as to redress injustices that have occurred in the past.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our goal is to see the land restored to its rightful owners not only in title but also in productivity, serving as a foundation for enterprise development and local economic growth.

This process not only corrects the wrongs of the past, but also contributes to the transformation agenda that our country is committed to specifically as it relates to gender equality. Women’s access to land is an important factor in the redistribution programme, and we must never lose sight of the possibilities that exist for families and communities when women also have access to and are owners of land.

Through all our efforts we must ensure that there is meaningful economic potential for rural communities and that claimants are supported with training, provided with proper infrastructure, and also have access to finance. We do not want land to lie fallow; we want it to be a living asset.

That is why, going forward, we will continue strengthening partnerships across all levels of Government to deliver integrated and sustainable development. This means not just giving land, but providing roads, water, fencing, extension services as well as market access.

As part of the Comprehensive Farmer Support, Government will continue to implement steps to capacitate emerging farmers with requisite skills and mentorship programmes based on their specific needs.

As recipients of these title deeds, you must optimise land use through improved and climate-smart farming techniques, through infrastructure and land ownership strategies that increase productivity and contribute to food security, poverty reduction and job creation. We know that you can be excellent stewards of the land, caring for it with love and respect.

Moving forward, Government will continue to prioritise the Backlog Reduction Strategy to resolve outstanding land claims, especially old-order claims that have long awaited justice.

We shall further use the Expropriation Act as a strategic tool to advance land justice.

Let us build a rural economy that is resilient, inclusive, and sustainable, so that land reform is not just a promise of the past fulfilled, but a foundation for the future realised.

I have full confidence that the Qelana and Qolombana communities will thrive and prosper.

May this land be a source of prosperity, abundance and happiness for all who call it home. May it serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for others who are also striving for a better tomorrow.

With these title deeds in your hands, you now have the power to shape your destiny and that of your families.

Congratulations to the Qelana and Qolombana communities on this momentous occasion.

Siyabulela, Thank you!

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