Ramaphosa hails North West title deed handover as land reform milestone

By Johnathan Paoli

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday welcomed the handover of hundreds of title deeds in Setlagole and Madibogo in the North West province as a milestone in South Africa’s land reform programme, while pledging continued government support for beneficiaries beyond the transfer of ownership.

Speaking at a Land Reform and Rural Development Department ceremony at the Setlagole Sports Ground in Ratlou Local Municipality, Ramaphosa said the handover fulfilled constitutional commitments to communities dispossessed under apartheid-era laws.

“Today, we are using the laws and institutions of our democracy to restore what was taken,” Ramaphosa said.

“We are not only correcting a historical injustice. We are building a fairer, more sustainable and more prosperous future for these communities.”

The president presided over the transfer of title deeds under several land reform and restitution programmes, including the upgrading of tenure rights to full ownership for 368 residents through the Upgrading of