Underdevelopment in rural areas is made worse by the slow pace of land reform, says Makana Mayor Zamuxolo Peter.
Underdevelopment in rural areas is made worse by the slow pace of land reform, says Makana Mayor Zamuxolo Peter.
He was speaking yesterday at a farm 15km outside Grahamstown, where around 500 people crowded into a marquee to hear officials from Makana Municipality and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform speak about initiatives to better rural people's lives.
The farm was Yendella – a 2 500ha property adjacent to Radway Green, where a land hand-over deal was derailed by bureaucratic machinations after the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs was divided into the department of Agriculture and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
The situation was resolved five years ago, after the Department bought a 57ha piece of land from the owners.
This piece of land, as well as the 2 500ha Yendella – formerly owned by other members of the Yendall family – are the sites of two housing developments for people living in the area.
These are in line with the Department's Comprehensive Rural Development Programme – which aims to build social cohesion in rural areas, and facilitate development there.
Makana Mayor Zamuxolo Peter spoke about programmes for young people run within the municipality, including training to run co-operative, technical training and sport initiatives.
He mentioned a move by the municipality to buy land in Fort Brown to build and agri-village.
Peter spoke of the problem that because of a lack of opportunities in rural areas, young people are attracted to urban centres, leaving rural communities under-resourced.
"Underdevelopment in rural areas is made worse by the slow pace of land reform," he said.
National Rural Youth Service Corps member Jerome Gyron, from Uitenhage, spoke about his experience in the corps.
The three-month programme begins with teaching about diversity. It is followed by a period of military training, and then training in leadership and initiative-taking.
He was glowing about the value of the experience to him. Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Candith Mashego-Dlamini was the final speaker, before the crowd went outside to enjoy pots and pots of beef stew prepared by women under the smoke-filled shelter of a shed.
