Page 20 - Our Land

OUR LAND 20

DRIVING DEVELOPMENT Chief Livhuwani Matsila test-drives a tractor donated to the Matsila Community Development Trust in the village of Matsila in Limpopo
PHOTOS: MPUMELELO BUTHELEZI
How to best use

community land

The busiest street in Matsila village has no name, but it is

mapping the way to prosperity for the community.

Poloko Tau visits the chief who is making it happen

thatched-roof guest house overlooks a Following his father’s death in 2004, Matsila heeded – 500 community members are employed on a
village in Limpopo from atop a small the call and returned to his home village to take over permanent basis and business opportunities have been
hill that is almost entirely covered by the traditional leadership role as the chief. created for more than 300 local small businesses.
the sprawling building. “I was not home often before then, and I immediately Matsila said the community projects were not only
The lodge is a symbol of pride for realised people were really suffering and I had to do benefiting the community members, but people from
A the Matsila community. It leads down something about it. With the knowledge and experience about 10 neighbouring villages that are inhabited by
to a nameless gravel street that cuts through the I had, I employed it and started mobilising resources both Tshivenda and Xitsonga-speaking people.
village and is flanked by several developmental with the first financial support coming from Germany, Among them is 46-year-old Constance Rambau from
project sites. giving the village, which had been experiencing an De Hoop village, who described life as “miserable”. Then
By far the busiest street in the area, along it there acute water shortage, its first borehole,” he said. she got a job with the Matsila Community
are farms for vegetables, chicken, cattle, game and fish; “We mobilised more resources and the wheels of Development Trust, where she has been a supervisor
and chicken and red meat abattoirs, as well as an arts development started rolling in 2007 with small chicken for almost four years now.
and crafts centre. houses, and gained momentum in 2009 with a financial “I am now able to take care of my six dependants,
With all this going on, it is clear why a board injection from the National Lotteries Commission pay for their education and, with the skill I am getting
welcoming you into this dusty street says: “The home leading to more rural development projects.” here, I am hoping to start a small business in my own
of development.” Through the newly formed Matsila Community community, and also empower and inspire the youth
Matsila village, about 28km from the small town of Development Trust, ever more land is being cleared while at I’m it,” Rambau said.
Elim in Limpopo, has a population of about 10 000. for new infrastructure and, Matsila says, this is not A job opportunity was a “true blessing” for 34-year-
A decade ago, it looked like any typical rural area about to stop. old Agreement Maluleke from Majosi village.
where water is scarce and hopelessness and poverty is “Our vision is to build an economic hub right here “Life was tough before this job opportunity presented
overwhelming – there was nothing there but vast tracts in the village, and stand out as such in the local and itself, but now I am enjoying some financial freedom,
of vacant land interspersed with patchy subsistence district municipalities. We’re providing services for pay school fees for my siblings and help my family
farms. the community while we’re at it ... we now have three wherever I can,” he said.
At the time, Chief Livhuwani Matsila was a public huge water tanks that enable us to supply water to Maluleke, who works as a supervisor, said he had
servant. Matsila, who holds a master’s degree in ecology, our people, reducing dependence on government,” gained many skills, including in health and safety, and
held positions of chief of staff in government and later Matsila said. he now “understands the importance of our
for the ANC in Parliament. He was also a general For the community, there is now plenty of environment and how to handle alien plants”.
manager for a unit known as People and Conservation opportunity. Matsila said more than 10 000 job Back on the nameless street, Matsila gives us a
with SanParks. opportunities had been created over the past five years tour into the kraals and greenhouses as men and