‘We Just Want What’s Ours’: Families Fight for Land Ownership in Mpumalanga

Two communities in Mpumalanga are vying for ancestral rights to the same plot of land close to the Nkomazi Game Reserve, sparking a heated land dispute. Vergelegen Farm in Badplaas is at the center of the dispute; locals claim that their families were promised legal ownership of the property years ago, but the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform ignored them.

Residents claim that their elders have previously successfully claimed the farm. However, officials allegedly informed them that no records could be located when they went to pick up the title deed. They now think that in order to prevent upsetting the valuable conservation area, the department gave the land to other parties, including families who were claiming the nearby Nkomazi Game Reserve.

Community leader Lucky Maseko said, “They exploited our parents who are illiterate.” “After being transferred between offices, we were informed that our claim was not documented.”

Maseko, whose family has owned the farm since 1977, claims that about 40 households are currently in a state of limbo, unable to protect their rights or develop their land without official documentation of ownership. The majority depend on livestock and small-scale farming for their livelihood, but they live in constant fear of being evicted because they lack a title deed.

However, following a successful restitution claim, the department maintains that the property is legally owned by the Mashoba Community Trust. According to spokeswoman Zithini Dlamini, those who are presently occupying the land are regarded as farm occupiers and are not trust members.

“We’ve attempted to work with them to protect their tenure rights, but they won’t cooperate,” Dlamini stated. “We intend to negotiate with the existing landowners and carry out a land rights inquiry to ascertain their status.”

The dispute is not unique. Residents of Theeboom Farm, which is nearby, have also accused the department of giving land to individuals who have no connection to the area. They claim that, once more without their consent, their agricultural projects were demolished to make room for development.

Pressure is growing to address what many perceive to be a failure of the land reform process as the department gets ready to meet with Theeboom families. The struggle for survival, dignity, and recognition is more important to the people of Vergelegen and the surrounding areas than land.

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Sourced:The Citizen

Picture: X/@jprwood63