Community Development in Thornhill: Empowering Rural Areas

1. Thornhill Development Forum presentation toPortfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land ReformregardingClarity on DRDLR, Crossways Farm Village Development, a PPP and Community Participation15th February 2012 11

2. Snapshot of Thornhill 22

3. LOCATION OF CRDP 33

4. 500 – 600 households (includes about 200 in squatter camp) • 2 primary schools (1 to Grade 7, 1 to Grade 9) , no high school, • 1 creche (unfunded in 9 years of existence) • police station, 1 general dealer, 1 hotel • 1 sports field shared by 1 rugby club and 4 soccer clubs. Dilapidated clubhouse next to sports field, used to serve as community hall until late 2010 when new hall was built. • 1 sewing project (13 years old), • Cha’lo Club – exercise for elderly, participate in the Golden Games • 8-10 livestock owners (about 60 cattle in total), no commonage, pay private farms for grazing - R30 per month per head • branch of CMR social welfare organisation • roads, dusty and pot holed • jobs at municipality, Gamtoos Resort, Nulaid chicken farm, cricket bat factory, surrounding farms, public road works • No land for communal vegetable garden or any other activities • No buildings/venues for any activities eg. CBO offices, educational or income-generating activities • Railway Station (Apple Express used to stop there) 44

5. Background to Development Forum • End 2009, Thornhill Development Initiative approved for Community Building Funding from SURUDEC (Sustainable Rural Development in the Eastern Cape) • Planned Activities included mobilising youth and women, developing community gym and play park, lobbying for a high school and communal land for grazing, establishing community development office in container • No co-operation from Kouga Municipality with regard to access to meeting venues, conclusion of agreements for access to Municipal land and venues for play parks and gym • 20 month contract ended August 2011, about 80% of funds returned to European Union, unable to implement planned projects • Thornhill Development Forum established to drive process 55

6. Contact with Crossways via the Department: • M. Preddy met Minister Nkwinti in June 2010 to report problems with Kouga LM and implementation of SURUDEC (in the hope of some intervention from the higher level of government) • Minister had met Dr Mulder and been introduced to Crossways concept the previous week. Said he would get Dr Swartz or Dr Mulder to contact us we could work together. • This never happened, assumed Crossways not ready yet. • Clearly this was incorrect assumption and Department was working closely with Crossways on future plans without community involvement. • Community information on Crossways restricted to promised job opportunities and Community Trust to be created as social responsibility vehicle. Very few meetings held with community. Crossways Community Facilitator – Mr Janeke convened about 2 initial meetings, then nothing about community participation. 66

7. On 3rd June 2011, Thornhill Development Forum and Youth Development Organisation reps took initiative to meet with Dr Mulder to find out what was happening and introduce the organisations and leave contact details. • Dr Mulder told us about the CRDP planned for Ward 7, he told us he had been meeting with Department officials from Pretoria, East London and Port Elizabeth, including about the list of NARYSEC applicants from Ward 7. He told us community research would begin in 2 weeks time. He told us about the planned NARYSEC campus and University of Texas campus (and there were already one or two University of Texas students around). He also said that the Minister had asked him to look out for farms for sale in Ward 7. • We asked him who he was working with from the community, he said the Ward Councillor and Mr Dyaloyi from Loerie. • He took the names and contact numbers of organisation members, but to date they have never been contacted. 77

8. LAND HUNGER AT THORNHILL • Farmers’ organisations at Thornhill been trying to access land under LRAD for over a decade with no success. Often identified farms for sale, but by the time tests etc were done, farmers had sold, sometimes to foreign buyers. • February 2010, Fundani Farmers wrote asking for someone to come and explain how to get both communal land (commonage) for grazing, as well as how to access farms for commercial farming under LRAD. No response. • Sent e-mail to Minister Nkwinti asking him to meet the farmers when he was in Ward 7 for the Crossways launch on 19 November 2010. No response. • During second half of 2011, complaint about whether LRAD still existed was escalated to Mr Jomo Ntuli who suggested speaking to Ms Mashologu. She asked for written communication (to be on record), so sent her an e-mail on 22 August2011, still no response. • Mr Ntuli kept asking for confirmation that matter was closed, but could not tell him so, as no satisfactory response. 88

9. NO LAND FOR EMERGING FARMERS, BUT SPENDING MANY MILLIONS ON LAND INSIDE CROSSWAYS • R28 million for an equity share of 194 ha of Crossways farm (what is the land use, how do we benefit?) We need commonage for grazing and communal vegetable gardens at Thornhill near our homes. • R 6 million for 49% equity share in 250 dairy cows at Crossways Farm Stud, and R2,6 million to own 49% of the land for the Milking Parlour. Some of our emerging farmers would like to be direct shareholders in the dairy, not distant shareholders through a community trust. We are cattle farmers with some skills and experience, but without our own land. We could contribute as well as learn a lot if we were directly involved and begin to be proper commercial farmers. No-one asked us how we want to be involved or even told us about this opportunity until we saw the Memorandum we are seeking clarity about. 99

10. DEPARTMENT’S PLANNED LAND AND FACILITY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN CROSSWAYS • Land for NARYSEC Training Centre, Student and Lecturer Accommodation at a total cost of R 5,529 million (for only 0,7577 ha) – this works out at a cost of R7,3 million per hectare? We think land outside of Crossways would probably also be cheaper. • Why are all of these facilities being located within the boundaries of Crossways? Why can some of them not be in or next to our communities for income-generation and jobs without the travel costs? Those of us who will be working at these facilities as service workers will not be able to live at Crossways, and some things like catering and security might be shift work. 1010

11. EDUCATION ISSUES AT THORNHILL • We have 1 unfunded creche at Thornhill. The most vulnerable children cannot attend because they cannot pay any fees, and even with the fees collected, the creche struggles to feed children daily. • We have 2 primary schools and no high school. Woodridge College is on our door step but is unaffordable. The school transport to high schools is unreliable. Many children hike to Hankey and Humansdorp because their parents cannot pay anything for transport. This results in a high drop out rate and social problems like alcohol and drug abuse and crime. • The Dept of Education promised us a high school if the 2 primary schools merge. This has been a challenge for 10 years or more. • We see that the DRDLR is planning to spend R2,1 million on a school site in Crossways for a village school. Surely this will be a private school, so why is the government paying for the site? 1111

12. EDUCATION CONTINUED: • We also see from a presentation by Minister Nkwinti of July 2011 that construction on a High School at Thornhill will commence in January 2013, and that the skills development and jobs to be created by this high school will be credited to Crossways Farm Village. We know there is a site and plan for a high school already – we need this school as soon as possible – why are we waiting for 2013 for construction to begin, then it is most likely it will only be taking learners in 2014. Every year lost means more dropouts. • The Community Education Survey we conducted in 2011 summarised on the next slide, indicates that there are 66 people in Thornhill who wish to do matric, we are trying to assist them to get registered as private candidates in 2012, but it is a challenge. • Would it be possible for this committee to link us with the Education Portfolio Committee to try to overcome the current obstacles? 1212

13. RESULTS OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION SURVEY 1313

14. OTHER PLANNED LAND PURCHASES WITHIN CROSSWAYS • R 10,9 million for Hotel site within Crossways. Why does the Department become a landowner within a private estate? We already have a hotel at Thornhill on a similar sized erf, with buildings and other improvements, which was recently sold for just under R5 million. Why could this not have been acquired for the community to run? It was for sale for a number of years. We have jobs there – is the vision that our hotel will close when the Crossways one is eventually operational ? • R 7,535 million for agro-processing sites. Many of us want to be primary producers, but that means we should be able to get farms, and to date government has not helped us. How are we going to be able to start businesses in agro-processing – many of us understand meat and milk as emerging cattle farmers, but we will not be able to do diary production on Crossways because it will be competition for their dairy. Why do all the business sites have to be within Crossways? 1414

15. CONCERNS ABOUT THE ECONOMY OF WARD 7 • Cricket bat factory relocation – another indication that besides farming, no economic activities are planned to be located outside of Crossways near Thornhill. • Why can’t the cricket bat factory remain at its current location, across the road from Thornhill, and the R 2,235 million be used to start a business or small factory outside of Crossways, near Thornhill so that we can walk to work? • We also note from page 10 of the Minister’s July 2011 presentation that the only “projects” earmarked for Thornhill are the high school and additional housing (we would have gotten those anyway), while Loerie has (i) household garden production, (ii) goat farming plus value chain processing, (iii) vegetable processing plant and (iv) additional housing. • It seems that our closeness to Crossways is a disadvantage because all the planned business development is within Crossways, and Loerie is better off because their business and job opportunities will be closer to where they live. We are happy for the Loerie people, but what about us? 1515

16. Participation and Roleplayer Consultation • STRIF Mandate: • To create an enabling institutional environment for vibrant and sustainable communities • Social Organization and Mobilization is primarily responsible for the promotion of a participatory approach to rural development to ensure that the rural communities are able to take full charge of their collective destiny. .....ownership of rural development projects and programmes.  • Institutional Building and Mentoring is responsible for facilitating and building and mentoring institutions in rural communities.  This function involves the identification of existing institutions and assessment of needs, including building new institutions to ensure sustainable development in rural communities.  1616

17. According to the Memorandum, the following DRDLR officials have been at public meetings about Crossways: Director Land Reform, and Deputy Directors STRIF, RID, SPI (p5, 6.4) • We don’t know if these were the meetings to launch Crossways to which we were not invited, but all the public meetings we have knowledge of were just speaking broadly of job creation and the social responsibility trust to be established, nothing about government buying things in our name and Ward 7 becoming a CRDP. Dr Mulder knew all of this on 3rd June 2011 when we met him, but no-one told us until 9th December 2011 – when Dr Swartz addressed the meeting held to elect the Trustees. • We are not aware of and were not present at any meetings to discuss priorities for our areas, yet there are advanced plans about what will happen where and when. Who decided these? Who was consulted? The memorandum correctly states communities were “addressed” ie. one-way telling, not asking our views or ideas, only for endorsement. • At what point does STRIF begin the participatory development approach to ensure community ownership? Who have they been meeting with about Ward 7 since 2010? How many meetings? 1717

18. The Community Trust already established? • If the Community Trust is already established, by who and where is it? If it is not established, who gave the author of the Memorandum this misinformation? • If Dr Swartz and the Department knew about our concerns around the memorandum at the time of the meeting of 9th December 2011, why did they not address them instead of trying to steamroller an election for which there was no proper information? Why did Dr Swartz say it had to be established before Christmas? • If this is a Community Trust and ownership is central, why were we told that 50% of the Trustees would come from Kouga Municipality? Who decided this? Who are the architects or initiators of the Trust who have decided on the parameters to date? Has anyone seen the way Kouga Municipality manages public funds and read the report of the Auditor-General? • Memorandum states: “the management of the Trust is still being resolved with the involvement of STRIF, RID, LR and SPI from East London DRDLR”. (p7, 8.2) Are these the real owners and what they came up with? Can they explain why the Municipality has 50% of control? 1818

19. Statements made at meeting of 9th December • “I thought there is some information the community does not have” – This from Dr Swartz – how are we supposed to get the correct information if we are not part of discussions and decisions? • “This is a PRIVATE development, there is not a cent of government money going into Crossways. They do not need our money, they have enough of their own. They can procure any service providers they want to because it is their own money” - Dr Swartz • “We want to buy farms around Crossways and give them to those who are interested in farming” – Dr Swartz (why did the Thornhill farmers have to wait for Crossways, they have been trying for 10 years under LRAD with no luck) • “If you decide to fight, we will wait until you have finished fighting, we won’t go away” - Dr Swartz (not sure who is fighting or if he is referring to our questions for clarity as fighting) 1919

20. Activities since meeting of 9th December 2011 • Communities/settlements in Ward 7 had to elect 2 or 3 nominees for Trustees before Sunday 18th December when Dr Swartz was scheduled to come back to address the community at 6.00 pm. • Don’t know what happened at other areas, but in Thornhill we were called to a meeting for 6.00pm, and nothing happened, so people began leaving and by 7.30 pm there were a handful of people left. We then heard that this small group of 8 or 9 people elected from among themselves, so the convenors or presiding officers must have felt this was an adequate quorum. Is this the ownership, participation or transparency that everyone is espousing? We don’t know who the initiators or responsible people are for pushing through this new trust, we are not sure if there is an old trust, and we don’t know where the buck stops in terms of raising issues about the process of the establishment of this Community Trust in our name. 2020

21. Other cross cutting issues/obstacles: • Department of Social Development is failing the creche. Every year we have to stay compliant to remain registered, with health inspectors etc, we get called to training on how to do business plans, submit our business plans, but for 9 years have received nothing. They just blame Bhisho for not approving our creche. • Kouga Municipality does nothing to assist us with land and venues, to acquire commonage etc. although we raise the same issues at each IDP meeting. • They try to undermine CBOs in Thornhill at every turn. Eg. In October 2011 we wanted to clean the Thornhill graveyard and pay 20 youth R50 for half a day of cleaning – we have R 1 000 we raised previously. We were then told the municipality was going to clean the graveyards, so we left it to them. The graveyard has still not been cleaned. Now we look like non-deliverers. 2121

22. Lost non-government funding for Thornhill: • We could not implement the SURUDEC Community Building Project so have to send back more than 80% of the R 840 000 project. 90% of the budget was from EU, other 10% was our sweat equity and in-kind contributions. We now have donated office furniture but no office. • In 2006/7 SANRAL project to repair the N2 between Gamtoos and the Van Stadens River. Thornhill was the base for the site office, accommodation for staff etc. There was an offset social responsibility project of R2 million. It was never implemented – the community and contractors agreed on Repairs to the school, rehabilitation of the streets, a play park for children, and surfacing the road to the local police station. The Kouga Municipality however insisted on a building for a local service centre for R2 million. Due to this the project got stuck. We don’t know what happened to the R2 million, if it is with SANRAL, the contractors or the Municipality. Construction crews moved off site in 2008. • This is a total of almost R3 million which could have contributed to a better life for our community, blocked by the Municipality not listening to the people. 2222

23. More on the hostile environment we work in • People said in 2010: “if we don’t cut the Councillors in, we won’t move forward”. That might explain the obstacles, but we don’t have proof, it is just the general expectation/ assumption of people. • There is retribution if people participate in the Development Forum activities, we lose members often – either they work for the municipality or close relatives do, and they fear job security. • Gossip and deliberate lies about people involved in the Development Forum, including that “outsiders” are coming to tell lies ie. bringing the Memorandum to the attention of the community. SMS’s go around that “Melanie must go”. • In December 2011, a member of the Kouga Mayoral Committee allegedly spent time in jail for trying to organise a”hit” on someone. • Melanie’s phones are monitored/bugged 2323

24. Way Forward: What we would really appreciate • If this honourable committee could please investigate our questions around the details and plans outlined in the Memorandum and Minister’s Presentation, and get back to us in writing, but also preferably send someone to address a meeting so that the facts can come from the horses mouth – especially on the confusion and irregularities around the Trust as well as how community participation can be improved. • We would like to get clarity on LRAD and other programmes for land redistribution – if someone reliable could come and address our farmers. • The Minister and senior officials of DRDLR have done an admirable job to create an enabling environment for the private sector at Crossways, but ignored the community requests for help and support to create an enabling environment for us who are doing Vuku’zenzele, which is what the government asked us to do. We would appreciate some help in this regard, as people now have the impression that it is wrong to try to organise ourselves and take initiative. It is as if government wants us to wait for them to come and do everything. The people at large need to get clarity about this too. 2424

25. Way Forward Continued: • We have raised so many of our challenges with various parties who we think have a “duty of care”, even if it is not their constituency or sector, but senior officials and politicians appear to want to stay in their silos and not tread on toes. ( • i) We are hoping that you can assist us in getting Social Development to be more helpful with the creche – where the next generation get their foundation, as well as with • (ii) the Department of Basic Education around how our 66 would-be matriculants can be assisted to study this year, • (iii) whether our High School construction can be speeded up, and • (iv) whether we can still get the R2 million from SANRAL. We know this is not your direct sphere of influence, but would appreciate any help or advice. 2525

26. In closing, we would like to thank the Portfolio Committee for your consideration of our issues and the Committee Secretary for the smooth organising of our travels and distributing the information. This is hopefully the first of many steps in restoring our faith in the system, and enabling us to get on and achieve our development objectives. 2626