BENNETT SELLS FARM WITH GOVT SCHOOL TO MP
LAVUMISA – Businessman who doubles as Nkilongo Member of Parliament Hans Steffen has bought a farm for E7.5 million from businessman and Senator Walter Bennett, which has a government school built on it.
The school in question is Ntsubane Primary School. The farm which Bennett bought for E600 000 is registered as Ingwavuma Estates Limited and he bought it on September 22, 2016, through his company trading as Haywal Limited, where he is a Director.
The farm was granted by Gerhardus Francois in his capacity as director of Ingwavuma Estates Limited. The land in question which is 262, 0610 hectares is Portion 1 of Farm No. 726 in the Lubombo District.
The decision to sell the farm to Steffen was taken in a meeting of the board of directors of the company at Nsoko on May 17, 2016. Steffen bought the farm through a company trading as O.K.H Farms Limited.
The Times SUNDAY has learnt that the residents of the area are very much aggrieved at the latest developments as they claimed that for years, they have known that the certain portion was on Swazi Nation Land. This publication was told by the affected families that they had been settling in the area in question for time immemorial hence establishing farming fields to grow crops to earn a living. As a result, they allege that the land was unfairly taken away from them.
Besides the school, the residents claim that there are three boreholes within the farm that were provided by government which serviced the community members. Of the three boreholes, this publication was made to understand that one of them (boreholes) is the school’s water source.
The group of residents are of Nsubane in Lavumisa and their Chief is GasawaNgwane. While admitting that the senator had done a lot for the development of the community, a faction of the residents are not pleased with the sale of the farm as they claim the land in question is Swazi Nation Land, and therefore belonged to them.
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