Barry Streek
The people illegally resident in the endangered Dukuduku forest in KwaZulu-Natal have agreed to be resettled on two nearby farms which have been bought by the government for R10,5-million and are to be owned by a community trust, according to Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Ronnie Kasrils.
“My department has worked with the committee which represents the community, as well as the traditional authority in the area, to ensure that there is sufficient community agreement to produce a peaceful resettlement of the people concerned. Once the land is transferred to the communities, there is an agreement that the resettlement will take place.
“At that stage, any community members who are unwilling to co-operate will be dealt with in terms of the law,” Kasrils said in reply to a question tabled in the National Assembly by EK Moorcroft (Democratic Party).
In 1992 the government had used straight coercion to move the communities out of the forest. “Not only were two people killed, but the process has been shown to be unsustainable since people moved back into the area.”
A trust deed for the community trust, which would obtain the title to the two farms, has been drawn up by lawyers, including those representing the community, and is about to be finalised.
The Dukuduku Implementation Committee completed a business plan for the development of the two farms and commissioned a detailed development and zoning plan for the housing, schools, roads, water and other infrastructure required by the community.
On March 29 this year Kasrils discussed the security problems in the forests with Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete and “a number of agreements were reached”.
He said the farms continue to be productive and profitable under the supervision of his department.
Kasrils also said the government remains committed to protect and restore biodiversity and to fulfil its obligations to the Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which South Africa has signed. He has not been contacted by the Conference of Parties but is willing to provide it with information at any time.
“We are determined to save this forest and to restore its biological diversity – this is why my department became involved in this process.
“But there are no quick fixes. The situation is complex and demanding. The process we are managing is designed to be sustainable in the long term,” said Kasrils.
“As we saw in 1992, neither the interests of the environment nor the community are served by rushed and ill-considered strategies or by declaring war on the community.”