MAGUGA DEMARCATION TO DISPLACE MANY

PIGG’s PEAK – Hundreds of residents will be affected by the new demarcation carried out by the Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) around Maguga Dam.

There is no doubt that the land surrounding Maguga Dam is prime land due to its proximity to the water source. The land is also highly fertile as the river deposits rich soil which is used for cultivating various crops, including dagga, whose cultivation is currently prohibited by law. On Saturday, residents around Nkomazi, as well as eLuhlangotsini, were informed about the boundary demarcation being carried out by KOBWA. New pegs have been placed around several spots along the banks of the Nkomazi River, which forms part of the Maguga Dam.
Hundreds of residents could be affected since the land is not only used for cultivation or graves, but some of them have built houses there. The residents are now wondering what will happen to their houses since they had constructed within the boundary.

The pegs, locally referred to as tikhonkwane, were recently placed as a way of informing residents that they were not allowed to build or carry out activities within the demarcated area. Private utilisation is not allowed as the area is reserved for business. On Saturday, officials from KOBWA as well as the local authority, represented by the inner council, addressed residents to inform them about the demarcated boundary and that they should stay away from the area. The only challenge for some of the residents is that they have no place to go.
Noteworthy, there were already existing pegs along the river basin, but new ones were recently placed, extending the boundary further.

According to officials from KOBWA, the boundary has been existent since the establishment of the dam, but that residents deliberately ignored it. Khetsiwe Ngcobo, who is Water Resources Management Specialist at KOBWA, briefed residents on the purpose of the demarcation. She informed them that this was a designated business area and that people could not build houses there. Some of the residents enquired about what would happen to their fields or graves now that the boundary was clearly marked. A resident said his family had been ploughing the fields within the same boundary for several decades, but that he was advised to stop.

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