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Richards Bay claim upheld
Bongani Mthethwa
One of South Africa's biggest land claims has
been declared valid by the KwaZulu-Natal Land Claims Commission.
The
Mandlanzini community, which lodged a claim over Richards Bay - the country's
largest deepwater harbour - is rejoicing after the commission accepted the
claim, valued at R390-million.
Zwelihle Memela, spokesman for provincial
land claims commissioner Thabi Shange, this week confirmed that the claim
against the north coast town of Richards Bay was the most expensive to come
before the commission to date.
uMhlathuze municipal manager Tony Heyneke
said this week the Richards Bay land claim was a long-standing one.
"The
commission has identified land near the town's CBD where it has indicated it
will spend money. The commission is dealing with the claim to the satisfaction
of the municipality."
Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation chief
executive Louis van Zyl declined to comment on the validity of the claim, saying
the chamber would abide by the commission's decision.
But Van Zyl
acknowledged that the Mandlanzini community was a displaced community.
"It's an ugly village and it has been run through a trust from the local
municipality," he said.
He said the Zululand Chamber of Business, in
partnership with its stakeholders, had developed much infrastructure in Man d
lanzini over the past five years.
"They have built schools and are now
building a clinic there," he said.
Van Zyl said they would continue to
support the development of infrastructure and were still involved in the
socioeconomic development of that region in partnership with the corporate
sector and local government.
Jabu Kubheka, general manager of public and
community affairs at Richards Bay Minerals - a leading producer of titania slag,
high-purity pig iron, rutile and zircon - said: "We have no problem with any
land claim because we don't own land and the land we operate on is on lease."
He said his company would work with any landowner as "we encourage the
issue of land claims and the land should be returned to the rightful owners,
whoever they are".
A spokeswoman for Mondi Kraft in Richards Bay, Anne
Dunn, said this was an issue for the Land Claims Commission and Mondi would wait
for that body to rule on the matter.
The claim comes after a similar
successful claim for a vast swathe of prime KwaZulu-Natal South Coast property
worth millions.
The South Coast land claim, also declared valid by the
commission, will affect about 5 000 mostly white-owned properties in Southbroom,
Marina Beach, San Lameer, Trafalgar, Palm Beach and Glenmore.
The claim
was lodged by the late Chief Mphangwa Mthiyane in September 1998.
The
Mandlanzini community were forcibly moved from their land in Richards Bay in
1976 to make way for the development of a harbour and the town of Richards Bay.
The people were loaded onto trucks and taken to the rural Ntambanana
area, about 45km away.
Since then, Richards Bay has become a thriving
industrial and port city. The town boasts the country's largest harbour and
magnificent wetland scenery.
The Richards Bay claim covers 4 856ha, an
area bounded on the east by the Mzingazi Lake and on the west by the Imfezi
Lake.
Memela confirmed that the claim covered all of Richards
Bay.
Chief Mthiyane's grandson, Mchazeni, 31, said he was ecstatic at the
news that the claim had been declared valid: "I feel relieved. I am so happy."
Mthiyane said when the people were moved, the government promised to
compensate the community, but up to now this had not happened. "I feel sad when
I look at the land once occupied by our ancestors having been developed while
people who were removed from it are suffering," he said.
Memela said the
commission had identified about 6 000 beneficiaries. However, he said, the claim
did not spell the end of Richards Bay.
"Our options are limited to
providing alternative land or financial compensation," said Memela.
In
another development, the commission has declared as valid a land claim by the
Nonoti community at Prince's Grant, one of South Africa's premier golf and
housing developments on the exclusive Dolphin Coast, about 45 minutes north of
Durban.
The claim, worth R100-million, was lodged in 1998. The Nonoti
community was removed from the area in 1945.
Memela said about 1 000
people had laid claim to 464ha of prime land where one hectare is estimated at
about R1-million.
"People have said they want to run the land as
business to build lodges so that they can generate an income for
themselves."
Memela said they had commissioned service providers to do a
land use study, which would help the commission to identify what kind of
business development could be pursued by people.
Memela said the state
had set aside R104-million to compensate people who were displaced at Prince's
Grant.
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