Women from Engcobo in Eastern Cape will now have access and become owners of the land which is part of government to breathe new life into the rural economics.

This was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the reburial of Dr Alfred Bathini Xuma in his home village of Manzana, Engcobo district. AB Xuma, a liberation Struggle hero, passed away in 1962 in Johannesburg and was buried at the Brixton cemetery. Ramaphosa declared a special official category 1 for AB Xuma’s burial.

“We are looking at ways to breathe new life into the rural economies, and how the resources of places like Engcobo can be used to support new industries, new businesses and cooperatives led by women.  As part of the land reform process, we are going to ensure that women have access to land and are able to become owners of land, and that we as government give them our full support,” Ramaphosa said. 

He said he was aware that in Engcobo, women faced many challenges and life was hard.

“We know that empowering a woman is empowering a family, a community and a nation. That is why we will continue to work hard to ensure that the problems facing the women of Engcobo, like access to water, to proper housing, to land and to health care are addressed,” Ramaphosa said. Ramaphosa said as the world was celebrating International Women’s Day, they had affirmed their commitment as government to making women full and equal participants in our economy.

“We will forge ahead with implementing policies and programmes that give effect to this, whether it is in reforming public procurement laws to ensure more beneficiaries are women, in ensuring that the rights of women are protected when it comes to ownership of land, or being firm in our resolve to stamp out gender-based violence,” Ramaphosa said.

AB Xuma was the first black South African to become a medical doctor, a qualification he earned abroad through great sacrifice. He was also the seventh and the longest serving president of the African National Congress.

Ramaphosa said AB Xuma campaigned for the right of all South Africans to receive decent standards of healthcare.  “He appealed to the colonial authorities for more doctors and nurses to work in black communities to care for their needs.  "It is of great significance that our nation will soon realise some of the social reforms that Dr AB Xuma championed for most of his life. For the first time in the history of our country, every South African man, woman and child will have equal access to healthcare when the National Health Insurance becomes reality,” Ramaphosa said.