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In terms of Section 2(1)(c) of the Provision of Certain Land for Settlement Act (Act No 126 of 1993), Minister of Land Affairs Derek Hanekom designated Portion 8, 12, 13, Portions 33, 34, 35 & Remaining Portion (Portions of Portion 1) and Portion 48 (a portion of Portion 19) of the farm Welverdiend no 361 JP, for the purpose of settlement.

In terms of the above designation, the Welverdiend Community Trust will hold the land to the benefit of 120 families. The following conditions apply:

The Trust must ensure that the carrying capacity of the 50 large stock units is not exceeded;

The Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 1983, will apply with regard to the utilisation of the land;

The Welverdiend Community Trust must ensure that the conditions of the Water Act, 1956, are applied in order to prevent the pollution of public water; and

The Trust may not sell or otherwise alienate the property unless it has first been offered for sale to the State, which will have the right of first refusal.

This represents a victory for an embattled community who has lived for 60 years on the land in question, during which they had no security of tenure of tenure on the land on which many of them were born. Many of them make a living mining for diamonds and other minerals, whilst the community has also identified other potential uses for the land during workshops.

Further information is available from Mr Koos Komane at (012) 312-8911.

27 MARCH 1996

Issued by: The Ministry of Land Affairs

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