The Department of Water and Sanitation will establish a structure comprising all stakeholders to address issues over the use of state-owned land around Hartbeespoort Dam.

Deputy Minister David Mahlobo held a stakeholder engagement meeting in Hartbeespoort on Monday. The structure, to be led by Deputy Minister Mahlobo and the Premier of North West will include business owners operating around the state-owned land, civil society organisations, community representatives, provincial and local government and traditional leaders. It is expected to have its first sitting in early November.
This follows recent conflict over leases and activities on state-owned land on the shores of Hartbeespoort Dam.
“Different representatives of various stakeholders came under one roof and had an opportunity to express their views on the ongoing tension at the dam. Eventually, there was a mutual agreement to establish a structure which will expand on issues raised during the stakeholder engagement and pave the way for co-existence among different stakeholders with a purpose of resolving the issues and advancing economic growth,” said DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa.
Mahlobo addressed the issue of lease agreements on state-owned land at the dam, which has been a contentious issue for the past years. “Previously, some of the business owners had 99-year-old leases and had been in occupation of the land for many generations without any formal documents or authorisation from the state. As a result, the Department developed a Lease Policy finalised in 2020 to address previous gaps and guide and provide a comprehensive framework for managing leases. The department has subsequently established a Lease Committee to assess and recommend lease applications for approval to the delegated authority.”
Between 2020 and 2022, DWS approved four lease agreements for recreational purposes at the dam for a duration between five and nine years and 11 months. Earlier this year, the department published a notice for Expression of Interest (EOI) for private or public entities interested in leasing state-owned land around the dam. “The purpose of the EOI is to provide equal opportunity for all potential applicants, both public and private and to address public concerns regarding the transparency, fairness, and competitiveness of the leasing process,” Mavasa said.