There was joy when members of the Ribungwani community eventually received payment vouchers from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, as compensation for the land from which they were forcibly removed by the former government.

The vouchers were handed to 261 claimants of the Ribungwani community by the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Mr Thulas Nxesi. He handed a cheque of R 14 263 650 to the Ribungwani Community Land Claim. All of this comes after the community lodged a land claim in 1996.

Nxesi said it was a great pleasure for him to hand over the compensation vouchers to the Ribungwani community as compensation for the land from which they were forcibly removed. "Restitution is one of the department´s strategies to effect land reform and to redress past injustices in the country. Throughout the country, communities have been deprived of their land through abitrary dispossessions and forced removals," he said.

According to him, government is busy redressing the injustices by giving back the communities their land. "However, in some situations it is not possible to get the dispossessed land back. In such a situation, the department is forced to compensate the concerned community with another piece of land. In some instances, the claimants would opt for financial compensation, which applies to the Ribungwani community," he said.

Nxesi said each of the 261 households would receive R54 650 from the R14 263 650 he handed to the Ribungwani Community Land Claim. However, Nxesi outlined that there are 77 households that are still outstanding. "The 77 households that are still outstanding will also receive their money," he promised. Nxesi advised that the money be used wisely. He added that he believed that some people who had been waiting for the land claim proccess to be finalized had already passed away. "The families must make sure that they at least do something for them. You can even buy tombstones for their graves, so that they can rest in peace," he added.

The Ribungwani community originated in Mozambique. In around 1800, they moved from Mozambique to South Africa and settled at Koedoespoort, Grootplaats, Buffelshoek and Groenkloof farms. They settled on the four farms until their dispossession between 1963 and 1967, before they were moved to Tiyani.

The community lived on the land which is situated at the Nthabalala area, depending on it for residential, grazing and also for subsistence farming. Before they were removed, they were living together with other people from the Venda Culture.

The chairperson for the Ribungwani Royal Council, Mr Jack Rikhotso, applauded the government for the move. He said the council was happy about the compensation that was given to the community for their land. The Ribungwani community´s removal came after the then government introduced the Bantu Authority Act of 1951, which established Bantu Regional Authorities, separating the Vendas and Shangaans. Only Venda-speaking people were left in the area.

One of the benefficiaries, a pensioner, Ms Vekisa Violet Nkuna (65), said she was going to build a house with the money.