2 October 2003

The biggest citrus estate in southern Africa was handed back to its original owners on Sunday when Land Affairs and Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza gave title deeds and full ownership of the Zebediela Citrus plantation, in Limpopo province, to the Bjatladi community.

The move will see 331 families return to their ancestral land after losing their rights to the land in 1914 following the enactment of the Native Land Act of 1913. The property has been operated as a commercial citrus estate for the past 85 years, and was owned by the former Lebowa homeland government.

The community will now own all of the land - which totals 13 785 hectares - including immovable assets such as the orchards and buildings with an estimated value of R61.4-million. The community will also own a 35 percent shareholding in Zebediela Citrus, the plantation's trading company.

According to land affairs and agriculture spokeswoman Nana Zenani, the community will form partnerships with the established farmers on the estate to ensure the continued productive use of the land.

The community and the farmers have agreed on a 15-year lease through which the Bjatladi Communal Property Association will receive an annual rental of R1-million. "The Henly Farm Properties will manage the estate on behalf of the community to ensure it is run to its fullest potential while creating job opportunities and receiving returns on investment," Zenani said.

Improvements worth an estimated R16.5-million will also be undertaken on the estate, including the reconstruction of all boreholes, servicing and replacing transformers, replacing stolen electrical wires and cables, erecting perimeter fencing as well as repairing buildings and restoring the road to the estate.

the Zebediela land claim was lodged in response to government's land restitution programme.

"The Bjatladi community was told by the then commissioner of Bantu affairs and administration that they no longer owned the land and had to work on the land if they wanted to continue staying or had to vacate it," Zenani said.

"Since then, the plight of the Bjatladi community has been one of labour tenancy, with some of them forced to work up to three months without pay, as was the practice in line with the Native Land Act."

Source: BuaNews

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