In a significant milestone towards dealing with issues of land dispossession, where many people were removed from their land in Kruger National Park, the government of South Africa under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa made strides in signing the beneficiation scheme agreement with the beneficiaries.
In the massive event held at Kruger National Park in Skukuza, Mpumalanga, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Willie Aucamp was at the forefront towards leading the important step in advancing inclusive economic participation with the signing of the beneficiation scheme agreements with land claimants of the Kruger National Park.
Fruits of decade-long negotiations
The beneficiation scheme is part of the overall settlement agreements entered with communities in line with government’s efforts to address land dispossession and follows about 10 years of negotiations and deliberations with the government and the South African National Parks (SANParks), which is the official government agency responsible for managing South Africa’s conservation estate, overseeing 21 national parks and 10 marine protected areas, including Kruger National Park.
Seven communities Madonsi, Muyexe, Gomondwane, Mahashi, Ngirivhune-Mathebula and Mhlanganisweni and Ndindani signed a landmark beneficiation scheme agreement with SANParks at Skukuza Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park on Friday.
‘Victory for communities’
Speaking at the event, Aucamp stated that the agreement was a victory to the communities that had been waiting for years to see the matter come to reality.
The signing took place a day before the official launch of the 100 years Kruger National Park Centenary.
“Beneficiation Scheme is one based on partnership, opportunity, and shared value for both these communities and the Kruger National Park. This agreement is structured in such a way that it safeguards the Kruger National Park as a vital national asset, ensuring that its conservation efforts and operations continue uninterrupted, while also ensuring the land claimants to benefit from what was their forefathers’ land without taking up residence within the park. The Beneficiation Scheme is not designed as a once-off intervention, but as part of a broader, systematic and perpetual approach to integrate historically land dispossessed communities into the mainstream of conservation-led development. National parks are not isolated assets, but shared national resources whose sustainability depends on strong, mutually beneficial relationships with surrounding communities This initiative reflects our commitment to manage national parks in a way that ensures that there are inclusive economic opportunities. Conservation must be a driver of development, and communities must see themselves in the value that flows from these landscapes,” said Aucamp.
Restoration empowerment
Aucamp also said that the beneficiation scheme agreement was representing restoration empowerment, and a shared commitment to transforming natural resources into lasting opportunities for beneficiaries and their future generations.
In the land claims lodged in the early 2000, spearheaded by SANParks board member and traditional leader, Chief Livhuwani Matsila who also heads Land Claims Committee at the agency, played a key guiding role in the settlement processes that resulted in beneficiaries cherishing the significant milestone for the historic land claims covering more than 450 000 hectares inside the Kruger National Park.
Employment and economic opportunities for beneficiaries
Speaking to Sunday World on the sidelines of the ceremony, Chief Matsila said that the great posture about the beneficiation scheme agreement was that beneficiaries were also going to get employment and economic opportunities, which will result in creating more jobs for the people in the Kruger National Park area.
“Some of the opportunities which come with this agreement are that the beneficiaries will now have an opportunity to own some of the luxurious lodges within Kruger National Park and also have their own shops to operate where tourists will come to lodge and buy items from them. It is for the first time since the dawn of democracy, this significant milestone had happened. What motivated me as a board member and a representative of these communities within the board, I emphasised that we are on the right track to restore the dignity of the beneficiaries and also create opportunities for them. I am grateful that this important agreement had been signed, and as such, this is just the begin and breaking of the ice, as we are gearing forward to make a different to our people as SANParks, as a lot of hard work is awaiting for us to do for the benefit of these communities,” said Chief Matsila.
SANParks CEO, Hapiloe Sello said that despite the efforts to reach to the point of signing an agreement with the beneficiaries for many years, the long process that was driven by principles had resulted in achieving the best outcome towards giving back the owners of the land; the best gift they deserved.
“To the people of the soil, owners of the land on which we stand, I am humbled and deeply honoured to stand here today after a decade, witnessing what will one day be written in the annals of history. Our grandchildren will tell this story to their own grandchildren. A higher power has worked with us over the past 10 years, during which there were many meetings, some productive and some not. Negotiations collapsed and were revived, with tensions setting in and requiring all sorts of interventions. Ultimately, we found common ground, which took a great deal of effort.
‘Hard work begins’
“I must thank everyone involved in the process. The owners of the land brought a significant amount of respect to the negotiations. With talks now behind us and dusted, the hard work begins. It is phase two that requires even more hard work and attention to detail. As things stand, we have to ensure that governance and compliance are followed and that the agreement is interpreted and implemented correctly, through delivering opportunities and tangible benefits to our partners, who are the landowners of Kruger National Park,” said Sello.
Amos Mathebula of the Ngirivhune-Mathebula said that that the long wait was over.
“We are now grateful that we have signed the beneficiation scheme agreement and the work should begin. We have suffered long enough while we are the owners of the Kruger National Park land. We are suffering with our people, and it is great that this agreement will now be put into use and get our people opportunities tat they had been deprived for many years,” said Mathebula.
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- South African government, led by President Ramaphosa and Minister Willie Aucamp, signed a beneficiation scheme agreement with land claimants of Kruger National Park, addressing historic land dispossession.
- The agreement, after a decade of negotiations with SANParks and seven affected communities, integrates these communities into conservation-led development without residents living inside the park.
- The scheme provides economic empowerment, including employment and opportunities to own lodges and shops within Kruger National Park, benefiting current and future generations.
- SANParks leadership emphasized that the agreement is a historic milestone requiring continued hard work to ensure proper governance, compliance, and delivery of benefits.
- Community leaders hailed the signing as a long-awaited victory restoring dignity and creating sustainable opportunities for landowners who had suffered dispossession for years.
In a significant milestone towards dealing with issues of land dispossession, where many people were removed from their land in Kruger National Park, the government of
In the massive event held at Kruger National Park in Skukuza,
Seven communities Madonsi, Muyexe,
“Beneficiation Scheme is one based on partnership, opportunity, and shared value for both these communities and the Kruger National Park.
Aucamp also said that the beneficiation scheme agreement was representing restoration empowerment, and a shared commitment to transforming natural resources into lasting opportunities for beneficiaries and their future generations.
In the land claims lodged in the early 2000, spearheaded by SANParks board member and traditional leader, Chief Livhuwani Matsila who also heads
“Some of the opportunities which come with this agreement are that the beneficiaries will now have an opportunity to own some of the luxurious lodges within Kruger National Park and also have their own shops to operate where tourists will come to lodge and buy items from them. It is for the first time since the dawn of democracy, this significant milestone had happened. What motivated me as a board member and a representative of these communities within the board, I emphasised that we are on the right track to restore the dignity of the beneficiaries and also create opportunities for them. I am grateful that this important agreement had been signed, and as such, this is just the begin and breaking of the ice, as we are gearing forward to make a different to our people as SANParks, as a lot of hard work is awaiting for us to do for the benefit of these communities,” said Chief Matsila.
SANParks CEO, Hapiloe Sello said that despite the efforts to reach to the point of signing an agreement with the beneficiaries for many years, the long process that was driven by principles had resulted in achieving the best outcome towards giving back the owners of the land; the best gift they deserved.
“To the people of the soil, owners of the land on which we stand, I am humbled and deeply honoured to stand here today after a decade, witnessing what will one day be written in the annals of history. Our grandchildren will tell this story to their own grandchildren. A higher power has worked with us over the past 10 years, during which there were many meetings, some productive and some not. Negotiations collapsed and were revived, with tensions setting in and requiring all sorts of interventions. Ultimately, we found common ground, which took a great deal of effort.
“I must thank everyone involved in the process.
Amos
“We are now grateful that we have signed the beneficiation scheme agreement and the work should begin. We have suffered long enough while we are the owners of the Kruger National Park land. We are suffering with our people, and it is great that this agreement will now be put into use and get our people opportunities tat they had been deprived for many years,” said
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