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Kruger airport aids community uplift

White River - The deputy chair of the Mbuyani community property association (CPA) in Mpumalanga says with the association’s share of profit from the Kruger airport, members still want to develop community centres, libraries and a soccer field.

Titus Masuku urged the community of Dwaleni to take ownership of the airport by protecting it.

The Mbuyani community property association outside White River gets R5 for every passenger departure at the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport.

Since 2002, this has amounted to R5m, which they have used to build paved roads, a cemetery and eight boreholes.

Community member and secretary of the CPA, Irvin Phenyane, said: “Our journey started in 1998 when (the former owners Primkop airport management) approached the community to build an airport on our land.

“The community and our traditional leaders agreed to provide the land because we knew that jobs would be created and the village would be developed as well."

It was agreed that the CPA would not only receive R5 for every passenger departure at the airport, but also a 10% profit share in the company.

Community showed discipline

Phenyane said that when the community first agreed to make their land available for the construction of the airport, the department of rural development and land reform ensured the process went smoothly.

He said the airport was built in 2002 and that more than 2000 community members got jobs during the construction.

He said the community started receiving money in 2011 and started prioritising and planning projects.

The coordinator in the regional department of rural development and land reform, Meshack Khoza, said the Dwaleni community had showed discipline since the beginning of the negotiations with airport.

"In some instances, community members lose patience, especially when money is involved. But with this community, we never had infighting.”



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