LANDOWNERS TO FINALLY GET LAND BACK

Members of the Yavusa Nacokawa of Nawamagi village, Conua in Nadroga, are jubilant that they have at last managed to get their land back after the Government’s decision to revert Schedule A and B land to the Native Land Trust Board early this year.

Their forefathers had claimed the land way back in 1912 but no action was taken by the then NLC office on the claim.

Efforts by their ancestors to re-claim the land were all in vain and they have watched helplessly from their nearby village, whilst tenants and their extended families cultivated cane and reaped benefits from the land.

The term of a sugarcane lease on the land has already expired but at a meeting attended by staff of the Lands Department, the NLTB’s Reserve Commissioner, Mr. Ilaitia Caginavanua, tenants and members of the Yavusa Nacokawa, it was agreed that:

• tenants of the expired lease are to remain on the land until the end of March 2003 and arrangements made for them to be resettled elsewhere.
• NLTB to provide suitable native land for them to lease, preferably a site near Sigatoka Town as requested by the tenants. (Navovo to be considered).
• NLTB and Lands Department to each carry out independent valuation of the property to be purchased by the landowners.
• NLTB and Lands Department to make submissions to the ALTA Ressettlement Unit for financial assistance to both the outgoing tenants and establishment of landowners as replacement farmers.
• another meeting to be held on Thursday, October 3rd to update and review the whole situation.

The landowners have indicated that they have waited so long for this opportunity and have geared themselves to taking over the farm and continue from where the tenants’ have left off. They have attended courses run by the FSC and are experienced sugarcane farmers themselves.

They have also agreed that they will renew other leases on the land if and when they will be expiring.

"This is an example of where goodwill amongst all parties had been forstered through the joint efforts of all the affected stakeholders" said Mr. Caginavanua. The NLTB is grateful to the landowners for their magnanimous gesture in agreeing to the 6 months extension.