/ 10 October 2004

Land handed back to Limpopo communities

Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Thoko Didiza handed over land to four communities in Limpopo on Saturday, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) television news reported.

The report said the Koka Matlou, Mabjaneng, Legata and Lebelo communities, who were forcibly removed from their lands in the 1800s, were given back their land at a ceremony in Mogalakwena.

”The most important issue which I stressed in today’s celebrations is the commitment of the community to work the land,” said Didiza, also urging leaders who will be managing the land to keep a ”dynamic” relationship with the larger communities.

The SABC also said citrus orchards have already been established on the 12 000ha land and that game farming could follow soon.

”We want to make the place a job creation place … we want to see to it that jobs are created for our children,” said a Lebelo community representative, Malesela Shika. — Sapa