Prime land worth about R200m that was handed over to community members in a land claim in KwaDukuza is now the subject of infighting among the beneficiaries.

The Mercury reports members of the Zwelabantu Dube Communal Property Association (CPA) are embroiled in a dispute amid allegations of improper conduct and financial mismanagement of the land.

Some members of the CPA said since the claims were settled in 2009, the community has not benefited, and the land has instead been stolen through illegal occupation and the sale of valuable seaside land.

The Portfolio Committee on Land Reform & Rural Development has expressed concerns that the government had invested millions of rands into the claim, calling for an investigation into the affairs of the CPA.

The chairperson of the committee, Nkosinathi Zondi, commented: ‘The government purchased this land for R200m. The agreement stipulated an 80-20% split on the development, with the community receiving 20%. However, the development never materialised. When inquiries were made about the situation, the developer informed the community that they were struggling to get funding.’

He said infrastructure should be built before any development could take place. However, it has come to light that on the land close to the beach, 135 housing sites have been sold without bulk infrastructure.

Zondi mentioned that the community had not benefited in the last 10 years.

He said since the new committee took over in 2022, it is only now that some work is being done to benefit the community.

‘Next year, we are looking to resuscitate the farming that has collapsed. A lot of this has been done wrong by the previous committee,’ said Zondi, adding that the land issue has led to tensions between the new committee and the traditional leadership.

Full report in The Mercury