Land claim best option

THE article by Mtobeli Mxotwa entitled “Getting land reform to work well” (DD, October 20) refers. I’d like to try to engage the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform on the question of land claims in my capacity as chairperson of land claims for the people of Nyaniso village, Peddie.

I want to believe the government encourages claimants to opt for land rather than for money. And I reject those who say it was the people’s choice to go for money, when this is in fact simply the “easy” option.

We have already seen the results of this in areas where people have been paid out and disaster follows this choice.

We can no longer avoid being proactive as leaders elected to assist our people, whether at community level or as hotshot politicians. We need to be helping our people make the right choices about their development and what is in their best interest. If we do not we are complicit when choices go wrong.

I therefore request that information on the offers for help be put on the table for those communities that go for land. Land is lying fallow in rural areas. My argument is simply that for people to take the land option there must be some encouragement from the side of the government in terms of assistance.

There should be written guarantees accompanying such offers to convince the people that such support will be available.

I commend Minister Gugile Nkwinti for developing a thick skin and holding onto a viable option despite opposition. Among the disruptive experiences we have gone through are the rich quick schemes and the notion that Jesus will come raining his riches onto us. — Mxolisi Toyitoyi, Dimbaza, King William’s Town