By Pfumelani Tsedu
The Minister of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development; Mzwanele Nyhontso and the Acting Mayor of Makhado Local Municipality Municipality Cllr Ruth Maingo during the engagements meeting with Communal Property Associations in Vhembe District.
The Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development (DLRRD), Mr Mzwanele Nyhontso has met Communal Property Associations (CPAs) and other stakeholders within the Vhembe District in Limpopo as part of ongoing efforts to address challenges facing CPAs in all provinces. Held at Northgate Lodge in Makhado Local Municipality, the session aimed to create a platform for open dialogue around the challenges faced by CPAs, and to jointly explore sustainable solutions that enhance their governance, operational efficiency, and land administration.
The engagement session arouses from the Minister’s commitment made during the Minister’s Budget Vote Speech on 8 July 2025, which announced a series of roadshows which will culminate in a CPA Indaba. In his July 2025 Budget speech, Nyhontso highlighted that “the department is also addressing the challenges related to Communal Property Associations (CPAs), particularly their dysfunctionality.
To address this challenge, the Department is implementing measures that include the establishment of an independent CPA office which is currently headed by an Acting Registrar. Furthermore, a continuous process of training the executives of these structures on governance, financial management, land management, and related skills and capabilities is currently underway. A series of roadshows that will culminate with a CPA Indaba has also been planned for”.
The event turned into a multifaceted platform of praises for good work done by the public servants, of challenges faced by CPA’s, challenges CPA’s face among themselves as individual entities were given time to ventilate. Resulting from the unaligned behaviour by the attendants, the Deputy Minister, Chupu Mathabata saw it necessary to start his speech by sharing knowledge and educating them about protocol, especially that males are expected to take off the hats during the national anthem, before emphasising on the importance of working together as entities towards a common goal.
The acting Mayor of Makhado Local Municipality Cllr Ruth Maingo, in her speech, pounded that CPA’s should fruitfully utilise the occasionally gathering to express themselves without fear. On the other side, the Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leadership in Vhembe District, Hosi Given Bungeni, pleaded with traditional leaders, present and in absentia to assist emerging farmers with Permission to Occupy (PTO’s) for them to get assistance from government institutions and banks to develop their businesses.
In conclusion, all issues which could be solved on the spot, so was done, and those which needed more time and analysis, were noted down for further engagement.
