Namaqua District
The Acting Premier of the Northern Cape, Mr. Bentley Vass, on behalf of the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr. Mzwanele Nyhontso, together with the MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms. Mase Manopole, the Executive Mayor of the Namakwa District, Cllr. Mervin Cloete, and the Mayor of the Nama-Khoi Local Municipality, Cllr. Rodney Kritzinger presided over the Restitution and Tenure Reform Title Deed Handover to Communal Property Associations (CPAs) across the Namakwa District yesterday.
The beneficiaries of the handover include Eskuinskuik Co-op, Vioolsdrift CPA, Tatie Newman CPA, Pella CPA, Concordia CPA, and Kamiesberg Local Municipality. This represents not only the return of land but the restoration of dignity, livelihoods, and opportunities for generations to come. A total of 610 081 hectares of land were handed over to seven legal entities in the Namakwa District, cementing government’s commitment to ensuring that land reform reaches the rightful custodians of the region soil.
Addressing the handover, Acting Premier Bentley Vass stressed that CPAs must be engines of growth, not division:
“CPAs are meant to be vehicles for wealth creation, not division. Failures often stem from poor governance, exclusion, and lack of transparency. We urge communities to ensure that CPAs do not become tools of new exploitation, but rather platforms that empower and unite people.”
In her message of support, MEC Mase Manopole assured communities that the Department will walk alongside them in this journey:
“The Department, together with you, will establish monitoring and evaluation systems for each project, ensuring that land serves the people and not narrow interests.”
This handover is part of the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s broader mission to advance land restitution and tenure reform, ensuring that land not only changes hands but also transforms lives.
This significant event follows Day 1 in Alexandra Bay on 28 August 2025, where land was handed over to the Richtersveld community under the Restitution and Tenure Reform Programme. Together, these milestones reflect the continued journey of land restoration across the Namakwa District, building accountability, ensuring fair governance, and restoring dignity to the people.
