Page 23 - Our Land

OUR LAND 23

‘‘ ‘‘ For the first time in my life, I can say I own land and I plough

my own land. This was a brilliant idea by Stockil, which should

be implemented to benefit other communities out there ... we

don’t only own a piece of land, but we’re living off of it

WHEAT TO EAT Workers are busy planting wheat, most of which they will sell, but some will be kept aside for their own use

Stockil’s help, we’re able to land and giving it to everyone will work when we
enjoy the fruits of our own don’t know how to use it,” he said.
sweat when we get our “We haven’t much right now, then we get land; how
shares after each harvest. are we going to use it?” he asked.
We’re very close to town. “My community got land, but we still rely on
Although some of our Stockil to make each of our crops a success. Many of
people still work on the us can’t even manage a backyard garden and yet we
farm, we hear of other want bigger land ... people will lose jobs and
job opportunities here.” children will go hungry.”
Another Sibonelo While the Sibonelo concept is working well
resident, 72-year-old Frina despite their crop project being affected
Hadebe, said she was born by droughts like many other
on the Stockil farm and farmers, Stockil said he was
worked there before she worried that land expropriation
moved to Johannesburg. She might harm the country in
came back after her family many ways. He said that if it
was moved to Sibonelo, where happened, it needed to
she is now a resident. happen in a way that those
“For the first time in my life, who took over knew how to
I can say I own land and I put the land to good use.
plough my own land. This “It will be good to find
was a brilliant idea by aspiring farmers, get them
Stockil, which should be funding, land and put
implemented to benefit them to work. To just give
other communities people land won’t be
out there ... we don’t challenging at all,” he
only own a piece of said.
land, but we’re living off of it,” Hadebe said. SINELISO HADEBE, FRINA HADEBE AND PETER STOCKIL “It will damage the economy if that land is not
“I hear how people out there want land from white used after being given away. It will damage
farmers and I ask myself, what if we had all this I am glad they are now living everything and there will be nothing left at the end
land to ourselves but had no Stockil helping us to of it.”
make money out of it? While it is a good thing for on their own land close to Back in Sibonelo, the harvesting has been done and
people to own the land, I just pray that we all put it town, which means they are the trucks, loaded with sorghum, have already left
to good use and make a living out of it.” Winterton for delivery in North West.
A worker on Stockil’s farm, 32-year-old Sineliso ‘‘ nearer to schools and other job Soon, the small community will sit down and
Hadebe, was born on the farm, and he worked and decide how they will spend their biggest annual
lived there until his family became beneficiaries of opportunities. We call this model payout for the benefit of them all.
Sibonelo trust. He has his own views on land agrivillage and we believe it can Then, before they know it, it will be time to hit the
expropriation without compensation. fields again and prepare for planting time as they
“Some people will say it is because I have lived all ‘‘ work in many other places steadily increase the prosperity of their community
my life on the farm, but I don’t think taking away one harvest at a time.