Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Buyelwa Sonjica is to sign a forestry lease agreement on Tuesday between the South African government, MTO Forestry and the Amatola Forestry Company, which opens the door to black empowerment companies to lease part of the country’s forests.
According to the government news agency BuaNews, the signing of the lease agreements will enable MTO Forestry to lease about 115 015ha of state forest land situated in the western and southern Cape.
The signing of the Amatola lease to the Amatola Forestry Company will involve about 25 000ha, which comprises state forest land situated near Hogsback and Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape. – I-Net Bridge