Communities challenge Chinese land deals
A fight over two parcels of land awarded to Chinese companies to grow rice and build a power station in Mpumalanga could derail the projects, says a City Press report. The EFF and communities in Bushbuckridge and Thaba Chweu in the Bohlabela region say this is a form of land expropriation that will benefit foreign companies and could have a negative effect on future generations in the area.
At issue is the decision to grant land in the dry Bushbuckridge region to a Chinese company to start a project to grow rice.
University of Limpopo’s agriculture expert Professor Joseph Asiwe said that rice can only grow if there is enough water for irrigation. However, the Bushbuckridge area is dry and struggles with water scarcity.
The EFF is having none of this and has labelled the R300mn project as another ‘land expropriation’ project by ANC-led councils in the Bohlabelo region on behalf of Chinese companies.
EFF Bohlabela regional executive member and councillor in Thaba Chweu, Exodus Maloka, said the party was exploring what legal action could be taken.The EFF’s outrage follows the donation of about 400 hectares by the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality in Mashishing to the Chinese company CSEEC, which is constructing the R380m Duma substation on two hectares of land.
The rest of the land is being used to build Chinese workers’ houses and other amenities. Bushbuckridge councillors have approved the proposal by Africa Sino Project and will enter into a long-term lease, not shorter than 50 years, on 100 hectares of land for the rice project and an agriculture hub.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
