Deputy President Paul Mashatile Hands Over Title Deeds to Sebilong Community in Limpopo

• Deputy President Paul Mashatile handed over title deeds to 1,071 verified beneficiaries from the Sebilong community near Thabazimbi
• The land claim was settled through a combination of land restoration and financial compensation
• Community leaders and local government officials gathered to mark the long-awaited moment

Nerissa Naidoo, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, previously worked as an editor, content creator, researcher and a ghostwriter before joining the team.

LIMPOPO, THABAZIMBI - Deputy President Paul Mashatile travelled to the Sebilong community near Thabazimbi in Limpopo on 11 April 2026. He went over to hand over title deeds to 1,071 verified beneficiaries from the 89 originally dispossessed households.

Sebilong community gets land back

Farm Zwartkop 369 KQ, the land at the centre of this claim, spans 21 portions within the Thabazimbi Local Municipality in the Waterberg District. The community's fight to get it back started more than ten years ago when Lazarus Nkale Tisane filed the claim on behalf of 89 households that had been forced off the land.

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Once the claim was approved, the community decided they wanted both the land itself and financial compensation, and a property association was set up to take ownership and oversee how the land would be managed going forward.

According to the press release, Mashatile spoke about what the title deeds actually mean in practice, saying they give the community a legal footing to build on and open the door to real economic activity and growth in the area. He also confirmed that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development would not simply hand over the land and walk away, with funding and guidance for drawing up a full business plan already lined up as part of the support package.

"Without land, freedom remains incomplete. Handing over a title deed means so much more than just signing a piece of paper. It gives back justice to people who deserve it," Mashatile said.

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He called on the beneficiaries to make the most of what they had reclaimed, urging them to use the land to grow food, create work for young people, and open doors for women and other vulnerable members of the community.

Watch the TikTok video here.

Community leaders speak out

CPA Chairperson Boitshoko Tisane made it clear that the day meant far more to the community than walking away with paperwork. He spoke about the pain of what previous generations had endured, saying their grandfathers had been chased off their land and left with no choice but to work for white farmers. Tisane said the community was now looking ahead and planned to use the land to bring jobs to the area.

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Source: Briefly News