05 October 2010

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in collaboration with the Council of Stakeholders (committee that comprises of all spheres of government who are charged with the responsibility to develop Riemvasmaak) will once more hold a Comprehensive Rural Development Service Delivery Opening Day for the community of Riemvasmaak near Kakamas on 6 October 2010.

The objective of the event is to bring government services close to the people. Apart from the service delivery open day activities; there will be unveiling and the launch of several projects which mark the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme.The Premier together with Members of the Executive Council will launch the Veterinary Services Mobile Clinic, handover livestock facilities to farmers, forty (40) houses to beneficiaries, as well as handover of E-RAP computer center among others. Several projects will also be visited to measure progress thus far.

On behalf of the Council of Stakeholders the MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Mr. Norman Shushu invites all media to the Comprehensive Rural Develolopment Service Delivery Open Day event to be held as follows:

Date : 06 October 2010
Time : 09h00
Venue : Sending in Riemvasmaak

The Community of Riemvasmaak as part of the District Management Area has a rich, but very sad history. As a result of the apartheid policy of the past government, the former Riemvasmaak Community were expatriated from Riemvasmaak during 1973, to Namibia and the Eastern Cape. The population consisted of ethnic groups like the Xhosas, Namas, and Coloureds who lived together in harmony under the leadership of a Nama captain and representatives from the different groups. During 1993 Mr. Freddie Bosman organised the reclaiming of the land for the community of Riemvasmaak and after several actions and attempts a decision was made in February 1994 that the community of Riemvasmaak will receive the whole 74 000 hectares of land back. Thereafter the Riemvasmaak project became the first land restitution project, registered as a presidential steering project and receiving a very high political profile. The first residents moved back to the land during the end of 1994 while the most of them moved back in 1995.

Source: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development ; Sipho Mbaqa 083 456 6154 /053 839 7831