The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has stepped in to provide land for a long-delayed shopping complex at a forgotten village in Mpumalanga.
The move follows a dramatic appeal by villagers who demanded the removal of one of their traditional leaders over the failure to deliver the project.
For more than a decade, the people of Matibidi – a scenic mountain village lying just outside God’s Window in Graskop and Pilgrim’s Rest – have waited for the promised Matibidi Retail Node.
The project, first tabled under the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality in the 2013/14 financial year, was meant to end their isolation by bringing shops, ATMs, and jobs closer to home.
But for years, disputes between the Mashilane and Mohlala Traditional Councils left the project paralysed, trapping residents in poverty, while tourists flocked to nearby attractions.
Petition to Premier
Following a string of protests that led to the closure of roads, members of the community reached breaking point in May. They compiled a petition to Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu, the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
They accused Kgošigadi Clara Bontle Mashile, leader of the Mashilane Traditional Council, of blocking development through “court interdicts”.
They demanded that Ndlovu withdraw her traditional recognition and dissolve the council, citing its failure to serve the people. “We are treated as tenants on our own land,” the petition read. “Even after 31 years of democracy, we still have no shopping centre, no ATMs, and no economic freedom.”
The SAHRC acknowledged receipt of the complaint and referred it to the Mpumalanga House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders. Leader of the house, Kgoši Mathopa Mokoena, referred their grievances to the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development.
After months of correspondence between the house, the province and the municipality, the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development finally weighed in.
Land finally allocated
In a recent letter to the restless community, Thaba Chweu executive mayor Friddah Nkadimeng confirmed that the minister had approved the disposal of Portion 37 of the farm Leroro 423 KT.
“The proposed development is situated on state-owned land,” wrote Nkadimeng.
The mayor’s letter also confirmed that the site falls under the Mohlala-Morudi Traditional Council, clearing the administrative dispute that had stalled the project for over ten years.
“To expedite the process, the municipality will engage the Thaba Chweu Local Economic Development Agency to advertise for potential investors,” Nkadimeng wrote.
However, the delay has been devastating for locals. Pensioners spend up to R200 on transport to Graskop or Sabie to collect their social grants and buy food. Young people, meanwhile, remain jobless in a tourism corridor that feeds thousands from outside the community.
“Tourists enjoy our mountains, but we can’t even buy bread without a taxi ride,” community leader Katlego Malatji told Sunday World.
Last year, Kgošigadi Mashile told Sunday World she had “not betrayed” her people and was committed to ensuring the mall was built.
