The Stellenbosch Municipality has turned its back on the ground-breaking Franschhoek Social Accord and developed plans to build housing on land identified many years ago to create opportunities for disadvantaged rural people in the area.
The municipality didn’t even bother to inform the ground-breaking La Motte Empowerment Trust established 20 years ago to represent the interests of people living in the forestry villages of La Motte and Maasdorp.
The trust was an outcome of the Franschhoek Social Accord signed in 1998 by representatives of diverse stakeholders, in a valley of splendid wealth and bitter poverty.
When it was registered, the trust was supported by the local Chamber of Business, Farmers Association, Valley Tourism, Vignerons de Franschhoek, the Franschhoek Trust and the RDP Forum. Anton Rupert’s daughter, Hanneli Koegelenberg, was one of the patrons of the trust, and the Ruperts made financial contributions to assist with its initial needs.
The trust’s priority was the roll-out of a bold land reform project identified by the people of the town to create opportunities for members of disadvantaged communities.
The identified land formed part of the La Motte Forestry holdings of state-owned forestry company, Safcol, which wanted to get rid of land not regarded as commercially viable. It was proposed that 1058 hectares would be reserved for nature conservation, 554ha would be used for the Bergrivier Dam, and 2043ha would be transferred, over a period time, to the trust.
In November 2000 Safcol got go-ahead from government’s to proceed and a lease was signed with the trust, including a commitment to “systematic take-over of part of the forest”.
By 2001, the La Motte Land Reform Project was already reporting interest from potential partners to farm trout, grow olives, plant vines and establish market gardening, weaving and community forestry projects.
Then the project stalled.
Marius van Stade, CEO of the trust, says there’s still significant support from commercial farmers to develop partnerships. But the land reform project never properly got off the ground.
Now, despite patting itself on the back when it recognised the Franschhoek Social Accord in its 2001 Integrated Development Plan, Stellenbosch Municipality wants the land.
It has begun its planning for a housing project on the land, without even inviting comment from the trust.
The trust has reached out to GOOD to unravel this history of broken promises and get the project back on track.
“Stringing poor people along, building up hope and then collapsing dreams, has been a common hallmarks of land reform over the past 20+ years,” said GOOD Secretary-General and Western Cape MPL, Brett Herron.
“Government must keep its promises, however old they are, and we will do our best to get justice for these communities.”
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