"As sons and daughters of Africa; land is our first heritage. As Africans and South Africans, our identity, beliefs and our very livelihoods are all intrinsically connected to the land. Our very being is tied to the land of our birth. Yet, many South Africans were dispossessed of this heritage under the colonizers, under the Apartheid regime, forcibly removed and sent to resettling places with no connection to our heritage, culture and to our roots," he stressed.
"For centuries, this country’s history was biased then served the colonial and apartheid regimes ideas. The living heritage of people indigenous to South Africa was marginalized, demonized and affected by dramatic changes in land ownership, livelihoods, language use and social structure," Mafu remarked.