Cata paves the way as beacon of hope for rural life
After many years of struggle, citizens get rights to communal land
A stone’s throw from some of the nine villages in Keiskammahoek that still wait for development is the village of Cata, where residents are all smiles.
Cata was awarded a R12-million settlement in October 2000. Half was earmarked for development projects and the rest was paid out as compensation to over 330 families.
A development plan was drafted and implemented in conjunction with Amathole District Municipality (ADM).
There has since been a significant improvement to infrastructure at Cata, including road upgrades, refurbishment and construction of primary school classrooms, a community hall and a museum.
Their plan emphasised local economic development and its implementation has seen scores of locals economically active through working in projects in their community.
The deeply rural area’s attraction spots include tourism projects such as the Cata chalets located at the summit of Geju Mountain, a 2km heritage trail, a trout fishing project and a community museum that documents the struggles the community has faced since their forced removal in the 1960s.
Irrigation schemes and agricultural projects are some of the developmental feats characterising this close-knit community. One of their museum administrators, Tyhilelwa Gcilitshana, told the Daily Dispatch that some of the fresh produce they harvest – including cabbage, spinach, maize, broccoli, butternut, beetroot and potatoes – is sold to chain stores in King William’s Town.
She said they supply stores such as Pick n Pay, Nick’s Food Spar and Fruit and Veg.
Another senior community member, Nosipho Mboso, said more than 100 villagers had managed to get employment in community projects.
As a result, poverty and unemployment levels have decreased drastically.
Mboso said one of their projects involved forestry, where they have planted pine trees on over 400ha in the mountains adjacent to their village.
“We have already found buyers for the trees, and we also get rental on some of the land where other people have planted pine,” Mboso said.
She said during the implementation of some of the projects, youth in the area had benefited from skills development and many of them were now employed and putting food on their families’ tables.
“I remember a time when roads were so bad that even small cars could not drive smoothly on our roads, and when we had funerals, people would have to walk and fetch the coffin from a distance as it was difficult to drive here,” Mboso said.
According to the Border Rural Committee (BRC), the NGO that assisted the communities in their land restitution claims, significant advances have been made in the village since the implementation of the development plan.
In 2009, BRC conducted a survey of households in Cata and compared data with the 2001 census figures. The survey, according to BRC managing director Phumeza Grootboom, found that employment rates increased from 4% in 2001 to 26% in 2007.
Grootboom said this was while the percentage of households with a monthly income of more than R1 600 increased from 6% in 2001 to 31% in 2007, and households with no income at all dropped from 43% in 2001 to 4% by 2007.
BRC’s survey found the percentage of households that are food secure increased from 20% in 2001 to 99% in 2007.
On a stretch of road between Keiskammahoek’s SS Gida Hospital and the Geju mountains more than 15km long, the only portion of the road that is tarred is in Cata, a shining beacon among surrounding villages.
According to Grootboom, in August 2016, some 16 years after the signing of the Cata land restitution settlement agreement, the title to the land was transferred to the Communal Property Association.
“The state had dragged its feet in this regard.
“However, the transfer has consequences beyond Cata and the Keiskammahoek district – it is a victory for democracy and for the right of ordinary citizens to hold title to communal land,” he said.