- Farms worth R25 million was handed to farmers in Tafelkop on Saturday.
- The farmers engaged with the government for more than 25 years before being handed the title deeds.
- The farmers' association appreciated the move, but bemoaned the lack of water supply in the area.
More than 30 black farmers in Tafelkop, Limpopo, were handed title deeds by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday after 25 years of struggling to own the farms.
The handover of the title deeds was part of the government's land redistribution programme. The farms total 189 hectares and are worth R25 million.
The area has a history of forceful dispossession dating back to 1948 after the end of World War 2.
White soldiers returning from war were awarded the pieces of land in the area, but left just before the dawn of democracy in 1994 and the land was left under the administrator Andre Stals.
In April 1994, local black famers registered the Tafelkop Farmers Association which investigated the ownership of the land. It was found that the Department of Public Works was the custodian.
The more than 30 black farmers were allowed to farm on a lease basis for over 25 years - until Saturday, when the title deeds were handed over to them.
It was against this background that Ramaphosa, in his address, described the occasion as a "milestone in a long journey".
Ramaphosa said:
He said he was impressed that among the farmers were women who had also employed people to work on their farms.
Almost 128 people are employed on a permanent basis at the farms, with over 320 working on a seasonal basis.
"As we return the land, we now know there are many people who want to work the land. We encourage as many people to enter the agricultural sector because it has been identified as a pillar to grow the economy," Ramaphosa said.
He pointed out that five million hectares of land had been redistributed so far, translating to 5 500 farms and 300 beneficiaries.
He noted that there had been complaints from black farmers about weaknesses in the implementation of land policies, especially the leasing of land. He said a land and agrarian agency would be set up in the next financial year to fast track land reform.
Tafelkop Farmers Association chairperson Jerry Sefolosha pleaded with government to make water available in the area.
It was also against this background that Ramaphosa spoke of service delivery, especially the water crisis, maladministration and corruption "which was affecting livelihoods and farming".