Land swaps show power of all party negotiation
The land deals signed between government, communities and the City of uMhlathuze, as reported in our Monday edition, show just what can be achieved when a spirit of co-operation – rather than confrontation – exists.
When the Port of Richards Bay was planned, land was expropriated from resident communities for the building of the harbour and associated facilities.
Little thought was given in those days to proper compensation, something that was a common experience for local inhabitants – including those who were often uprooted, evicted and relocated to arid areas such as at Ntambanana.
In the name of ‘progress’, development was deemed more important than history, traditions and households.
And while the region undoubtedly benefitted tremendously from the industrial growth and job creation which construction of the deep water port enabled, the bitter unfairness of the transaction always remained.
In other places, this has festered into angry ‘land grabs’ that have led to bloody confrontations.
Thankfully, wrongs can sometimes be righted when people are prepared to accept past culpability, compromise and make restitution.
Thus, last Friday was a red letter day as clans that had been dispossessed were given other land or monetary compensation.
Transnet, who as the owners and operators of the port sit in the middle of the situation, were also able to renegotiate other land deals in a spirit of goodwill.
They will hand over land to the municipality for human settlement requirements at Aquadene and will in turn receive land required for future port development.
Transnet will also obtain municipal land, including Naval Island and Pelican Island, to make way for the impending move of the SA Navy base from Durban to Richards Bay.
It appears to be a win-win situation for all parties, but there is a note of concern.
The City of uMhlathuze does not have many recreational areas on or near the ocean; to lose the popular island beaches (Naval Island is already a no-go area), and with the appalling state of facilities at Alkantstrand, there soon might be no place to go for bathing and picnics.
We need more beaches or tidal pools, spread from Mzingazi to Port Durnford, to give all residents access to swimming amenities and to take pressure off Alkantstrand.
This should also include massive upgrades and improvements to existing municipal town pools.
The Bay Hall area, presently classified as a non-swimming zone, needs to be turned into a formal beach, with toilet and shower facilities, lifeguards and proper parking lots.