The Makuleke Story: Our Community, Our Land, Our Restoration 

Written by the Makuleke Landscape Restoration Project Team 

This is our story – the story of the Makuleke community. Our deep love for this land, which fuelled our successful land restitution process, now guides our journey of landscape restoration. We are transforming a top-down conservation approach into a true grassroots movement, proving that our collective ownership is the key to healing our land. 

This evolving effort is a process of learning as we go, built on the shared wisdom and commitment of our generations and community structures. 

The Wisdom of Our Elders and Leaders 

Our elders and traditional council are at the forefront, guiding us and preparing the next generation. As one of our elders, Mr Elvis Mugakula, wisely said, “The new generation will live on the landscape, and we need to help them to look after the land.” Our most crucial role, they believe, is to pass down the knowledge and values needed to ensure our landscape’s health for generations to come. 

Our traditional council chairperson, Mrs Elisa Khosa, leads by example, reminding us, “If we lead it ourselves, we will be able to see the importance of our landscape and see for ourselves what the damages are in our landscape.” By taking the lead, we are fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the land, allowing our community to directly identify and address our own ecological challenges. 

Our Royal Family also plays a vital role. “It is important because we can ensure our community’s order, and address landscape degradation,” Mrs Thoko Maluleke, a royal family member, told us. This perspective teaches us that a healthy landscape reflects a healthy community, and that caring for our land shows deep respect for our environment. 

The Voices of Our Youth and Our People 

Our youth are taking a prominent role, bringing urgency and personal commitment to the process. As one of our youth representatives, Mrs Jane Hlungwane, declared, “We have experienced the land when it was in good shape and received benefits from it, therefore we are the only people who can take it back to its productive days.” This statement captures the powerful sense of responsibility our young people feel in reclaiming our environmental heritage. 

This growing involvement is supported by our Communal Property Association (CPA). As our CPA Administrator, Mrs Mixo Maluleke, explained, our restoration efforts “will increase community engagement and bring a sense of ownership, while building skills and capacity to maintain landscape restoration.” Our CPA’s structure empowers all of us, ensuring our effort is inclusive, skills-focused, and sustainable for the long term.