Grand plans of better life comes to naught as folk mired in poverty
Residents of nine Keiskammahoek villages still live in abject poverty, 16 years after being awarded a land restitution settlement of over R100-million.
The upper and lower Gxulu villages, upper and lower Mnyameni, upper Ngqumeya, Gwiligwili, Ndlovini, Ngobozana and Mthwaku were awarded a R102-million settlement on June 16 in 2002.
Some R47-million of this was financial compensation for 1 704 families who had been dispossessed of their homes under apartheid’s ironically named “betterment” programme in the 1960s. Many also lost their stock – their only source of wealth – subsequent to the application of the Stock Limitation Act (1950) introduced by the state under the pretext of land betterment.
Designated areas were divided into distinct land-use zones and people were forced to move into demarcated residential land while arable land and land suitable for grazing was allocated to them accordingly.
At the time of the settlement, it was agreed that each claimant family should receive part of the compensation – R27 782 each – in cash. The remaining R55million was set aside for development projects. The funds were given to the Amathole District Municipality (ADM), which was to act as an implementing agency.
However 16 years down the line, the community is crying foul, still waiting for the development projects that would change their lives. Several protests have taken place outside the ADM offices over the years but they answers.
The Dispatch recently visited some of the villages. Roads were dismal, sporting facilities mainly non-existent and poverty and unemployment rife.
Community leader Gasa Ndingane from Upper Gxulu said residents had lost all faith in ADM and that any development projects would happen.
Ntinga Ntaba kaNdoda executive director Mazibuko Jara said people’s lives were on hold in these villages.
Border Rural Committee (BRC) managing director Phumeza Grootboom said the R55million was to have been spent on projects identified through a development planning process and administered by ADM.
“A local community development plan was drafted to guide usage of the funds and improve local economic development of these communities.
“A project steering committee was set up for the purpose of coordination, accountability and decision-making, and development committees were established in each village to coordinate processes at community level,” Grootboom said.
She said ADM had started building multipurpose halls in the villages but not all the halls were completed. Two tractors were purchased, but could not be used until registered.
“Efforts over the last three years, to find out what has happened to the funds have not been successful. Incomprehensible financial reports have been submitted, with no simple answers to straightforward questions. Communities have been told that R35-million has been spent, and only R20-million have not produced remains.”
Ntinga Ntaba kaNdoda is a CBO that works in developmental projects in 13 villages in the Keiskammahoek area.
Jara said the roads were so bad it negatively affected agricultural projects because many villages were productive, but could not get their produce to the markets.
“Many of their plans were to develop agriculture so that they could use the proceeds to improve their lives. Our local hospital is not in good shape and clinics do not run properly, forcing locals to seek medical help in faraway places like King William’s Town.
“Even schools, especially high schools, were closing down because the quality of education and infrastructure are not up to scratch,” said Jara.
ADM spokeswoman Nonceba Madikizela-Vuso this week told the Dispatch that to date, more than 60% of the developmental funds had been used. “In accordance with the project agreement concluded in 2008, the ADM has utilised the funds to implement the projects in the nine affected villages, in phases,” she said.
She claimed that legal battles had delayed some projects.
“The projects have been mired in court battles whereby interdicts have prevented implementation from continuing for substantial periods, the last being a dispute among communities in October 2015.”
She confirmed that two tractors were bought by ADM for the communities in those villages for farming, “with the expectation that communities would form legal entities under which to register the tractors, which has not yet happened”.