Kurland community Bitou's Mandela Day focus

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PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Mandela Day delivered many moments to celebrate in Bitou, especially in the Kurland community.

Not only did Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Mcebisi Skwatsha visit Bitou to hand over the title deeds to a property in Kurland for future housing development, but he and several other high-profile government officials got their hands dirty serving the community on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay.

PHOTO GALLERY: Bitou's Mandela Day focus

And to top off all the excitement, local children surprised Bitou Mayor Dave Swart with a special birthday song, as he shares his birthday with that of late former president Nelson Mandela.

"18 July is an important date in the calendar of South Africa," Swart said.

"On this day, we celebrate the birthday of the late Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of the Republic of South Africa. It is also a day that we dedicate 67 minutes of our time to get involved in good deeds in our communities in honour of Nelson Mandela and hence the day is called 'Mandela Day' across the world."

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Mcebisi Skwatsha, Bitou Mayor Dave Swart and several other officials visit a Kurland food garden as part of Mandela Day celebrations.

He said the Bitou Municipality celebrated Mandela Day in the company of Skwatsha. He was in Bitou to hand over the title deed of Erf 526 in Kurland. "The process of transferring this piece of land to the community of Kurland started in 2017 and the handing over of the title deed is a huge step in the process to develop the much-anticipated housing for the people of Kurland."

Apart from the formal ceremony of handing over the title deed for the land, Skwatsha and his team joined Swart, members of the Bitou Council and officials from the municipality in the beautification of two crèches in Kurland as part of the 67 Minutes for Mandela campaign.

Another stop was a food garden in the Kurland. The local group who runs the garden benefitted from the visit as gardening material and equipment were also handed over.

"This will assist the community food gardens to grow and it will be beneficial to the campaign to ensure food security," said Swart.

Bitou Mayor Dave Swart, Garden Route Municipality Mayor Memory Booysen and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Mcebisi Skwatshawith staff and children at the Kurland crèche.