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In the Limpopo Province of South Africa lies the dilapidated Zebediela Citrus Estate, known historically as a ‘citrus jewel’ for its bountiful orange production. It served as a beacon of successful agriculture, exporting roughly three million oranges per annum at its peak. The vast 3000-hectare farm, located south of Polokwane, was a formidable economic engine, supporting the nearby town of Mokopane with jobs and revenue.
However, the estate’s splendor is a thing of the past. It stands as a poignant example of what can go wrong when land redistribution is not accompanied by proper management and support. In 1998, a land claim was lodged by the Batladi communal property association (CPA) and was resolved by 2003, with the ownership of Zebediela being transferred to the community’s CPA gradually. This transition, intended to empower thousands, has collapsed under the weight of internal conflict and financial mismanagement.
Visitors to the estate are met with the sight of decaying buildings and unkept farmland. The once-thriving operation is barren of workers, retaining only a couple of security guards at its gates. A former employee, preferring anonymity, cited “serious infighting among community leaders and squandering of funds” as the reasons behind the disaster. Such disputes have hindered attempts to attract necessary investments to revive the estate.
Efforts to obtain a response from Silas Kekana, the director of the CPA, proved futile. But the silence from leadership mirrors the inactivity that plagues the farm. Industry experts like Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers Association, and Piet Smit, CEO of the Komati Group, recognize the desperate state of the estate. They attribute the estate’s decline to inadequate agricultural skills among community leaders, coupled with intrusive community interference that stifled the potential for commercial partnerships.
Independent political analyst Sandile Swana asserts that this situation exemplifies a broader trend of failure in land reform and restitution beneath the ANC’s 30-year leadership. Swana underscores the necessity of agricultural education and skills, which are vital for the successful transition from laborers to farm owners. For communities like the Batladi, who are generations removed from land ownership due to past dispossession, the leap to successful farming is vast and often insurmountable without proper preparation and support.
The estate is not only physically ruined but is also laden with a massive R170 million debt. It reveals a stunning blow to the dreams of community-led agricultural success. A government pledge of R500 million as part of a Covid recovery plan has so far not been realized, further dampening hope for a resurrection of the estate.
In conclusion, the story of Zebediela is a tragic one, underlining the complexities of land redistribution without adequate structures for support and development in place. The estate once stood as a testament to South Africa’s agricultural prowess, and its current desolation serves as a cautionary tale for land reform initiatives everywhere.
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