Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture, will on Friday, 09 May 2025 officially hand over title deeds to the Qelana and Qolombana communities in the Eastern Cape.
The communities, located near Mthatha in the OR Tambo District Municipality, were stripped of land ownership under the apartheid-era Betterment Policy, which reduced indigenous ownership to a “Permission to Occupy” status. The policy also introduced overlapping land rights and significantly reduced access to arable and residential land.
The Qelana community faced dispossession in 1957 and 1963, while the Qolombana community was dispossessed in 1936 and again in 1963. Following years of advocacy, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights has facilitated the settlement of these land claims. Both communities chose the restoration of land as the preferred form of redress.
The title deed handover is also being held in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No. 22 of 1994), a cornerstone in post-apartheid land reform efforts.
The ceremony will take place as follows:
- Date: Friday, 09 May 2025
- Time: 11h00 (Gates open at 09h00)
- Venue: Mabeleni Dam, outside Mthatha, Eastern Cape
Deputy President Mashatile will be joined by the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr Mzwanele Nyhontso, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, local mayors, and senior government officials.
