By Charmaine Ndlela
Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso handed over title deeds covering more than 2,900 hectares to 110 labour tenants and farm dwellers in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday.
The handover took place at Bilanyoni Sports Field in the eDumbe Local Municipality, Zululand District, as part of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery’s community outreach programme.
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Nyhontso, accompanied by Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, handed over title deeds linked to 52 labour tenant claims and 58 farm dwellers in the Abaqulusi and Pongola local municipalities.
The transfer forms part of the government’s efforts to resolve longstanding labour tenancy claims and strengthen land tenure security in rural communities.
Addressing beneficiaries, Nyhontso said the title deeds represented more than legal ownership, restoring dignity and giving recipients greater control over how they used and developed their land.
“[T]his is your land. The dignity has come back. That’s what a title deed means. It means you can work on your own land,” he said.
He said formal ownership could also create opportunities for beneficiaries to approach financial institutions for funding to develop their properties and expand agricultural activities.
“You can even go to a bank and tell them you have a piece of land and ask the bank to lend you money so you can fix the land and plant the vegetables, buy livestock, and do everything that a person who owns the land can do,” Nyhontso said.
