On 14 March 2018 at the Town Hall in Alice the Agricultural and Rural Development Research Institute of Fort Hare, the Raymond Mhlaba Farmers’ Association and the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, hosted the first in a series of public dialogues on rural development. The dialogue was on the topic “land tenure security, tenure security and tenure reform”. The premise of this dialogue was the 2017 Communal Land Tenure Bill, which seeks to establish a means of transferring ownership of so-called communal land – most of which at present is technically owned by the State – to communities. The Bill furthermore allows for various ways in which communities may choose to manage and devolve land rights.
The dialogue was organised in order to improve awareness of the Bill, as well as of the underlying debates, such as people’s preferred means of holding land and the role of traditional leaders. Invited speakers included a representative from the Raymond Mhlaba Farmers’ Association, the local House of Traditional Leaders, Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, and the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform. Over 100 community members participated in the discussion. One concern voiced by a number of participants was whether the new legislation would possibly result in rural households having to pay rates. Other participants noted that much of the agricultural land in communal areas remains underutilised, and wondered whether tenure reform could contribute to more effective land use.
The next Rural Develop Public Dialogue will be in two or three months.
Xhosa version
Ngomhla we 14 kuMatshi kwiholo yoluntu esedolophini eDikeni iziko lophando nolimo lokuphuhliswa kwasemaphandleni (ARDRI) lwaka Nokholeji, kunye nengqokelela yama fama aseRaymond Mhlaba iphelekwe ngumaspala iRaymond Mhlaba. Ibi bambe ingxoxo yasesidlangalaleni. Isihloko bekuxoxwa phantsi kwaso ibi lukhuseleko lokusetyenziswa komhlaba ngabo bawusweleyo.
Intsukaphi yale ngxoxo isukela kumnyaka ka 2017 apho uRhulumente epoposhe umthetho wokusetyenziswa komhlaba kwabo bawusweleyo, ngenjongo zokunikezela isiqinekisi mvume somhlaba kwabo bane bango lalomhlaba kweli gcuntswana liwusweleyo. Kodwa ke uzokuthi ga ngoku ingxalenye yalomhlaba uphantsi korhulumente kunye nabahlali.Lo mthetho ukwa vumela indlela ezahlukileyo abahlali abangazikhetha ukumelana nokugqithisa lamalungelo omhlaba.Le gxoxo mpikiswano ibiququzelwele ukuphuhlisa ulwazi ngalo mthetho wokusetyenziswa komhlaba ngabo bawuselweyo. Kwakunye negalelo lwenkosi zemveli kunye negalelo lwabo bakhethe ukuwugcinela kubo umhlaba wabo. Izithethi ebezimenyiwe ukuzozimasa lo msitho ziquka izithethe ezisuka kumbutho wendibanisela wamafama AseDikeni, ezisuka kumasipala Raymond Mhlaba,Iinkokheli zemveli, kunye nesebe lokuphuhlisa amafama nabezolimo.
Bangapha kwekhulu amalungu okuhlala athathe inxaxheba kwingxoxo. Enye ye nkxalabo ezivakalisiweyo ngomnye wabo bebekwingxoxo ibikuba ingaba ukuqulunqwa kwalomthetho mtsha awuzuba namiphumela apho amakhaya asemaphandleni aya kunyanzeleka ahlawule intlawulo zika Masipala kusini na. Inxenye ibikulengxoxo iqaphele ukuba minintsi imihlaba engasetyenziswayo yezolimo emaphandleni uzothi ga ngoku. Lonto ibashiye bezibuza umbuzo wokuba elilungelo lokusetyenziswa komhlaba lizakuba negalelo eyimpumelelo kusini na ekusetyenzisweni komhlaba ngokufanelekileyo.
Enye ingxoxo yasesidlangalaleni izakuba kwinyanga ezimbini okanye ezintathu ezizayo