Pretoria - Deputy Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Bheki Cele will meet communities in Mkhondo local municipality, Mpumalanga, in an imbizo on Monday to discuss land rights affecting them.
“This is a follow-up imbizo to deal with community issues related to the alleged forceful removals from Mondi forestry plantations to Agri villages under the Mondi Mkhondo Development Project,” the department said in a statement.
There are 62 communities involved in the resettlement programme.
Communities allege that they are being denied basic services as a way of forcing them to relocate to the Agri villages.
Some of the affected communities have lived in the area for more than two decades.
The imbizo would provide a platform for community members to interact with Cele, Mondi and the Mkhondo municipality on providing solutions to the matter as part of government’s ongoing National imbizo focus week, the department said.
The imbizo will be held at Iswepi, Adilia Sappi Airstrip, Piet Retief, Mkhondo local municipality, Mpumalanga.
The programme will include a walkabout in the area, where houses were demolished.
ANA