Landowners skeptical about reversion of ancestral land

Members of the mataqali (clan) Nadala of the yavusa (tribe) of Nubu, in Nadarivatu eagerly await promises made by the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo.

Nadarivatu landowners spokesperson Luke Vauvau, said they would only believe what the minister highlighted in Parliament if they received a certified title of the land.

“We are more interested in knowing when we will receive this,” Mr Vauvau said.

“If this is true, then we are waiting to receive the black and white documents titles to confirm all that.”

“We are thankful to Government for what it has been doing, and we are happy with what the minister has mentioned.”

Mr Vauvau said a lot had been happening and they were worried about information circulating on social media.

Mr Vosarogo revealed in Parliament that Government would return the Native Grant 2 (NG2) land in Nadarivatu to its rightful owners, mataqali Nadala of yavusa Nubu.

The land, known as Native Grant 2 (NG2), covers 15,000 acres (6070 hectares) and was originally acquired by the Colonial government in 1905 under Ordinance XI at a quit rental of 25 pounds.

It was set aside as a sanatorium, forest, and recreation reserve and later considered for agricultural development involving cocoa and coffee cultivation.

Quit rental refers to the process of leaving a rental property through a formal ‘notice to quit’ or by the tenant voluntarily ending their tenancy.

After years of research, consultation and review, the ministry concluded that the land, once acquired for public purposes, is no longer required for its original use.

In 2002, Cabinet approved in principle for the land to be reserved, but after discussions with the landowning unit, a request was made for reversion instead.

On September 2, Cabinet approved the reversion of the remaining balance of NG2 to mataqali Nadala, while existing leases will be transferred to either the iTaukei Land Trust Board (iTLTB) or the Land Use Division, depending on the preference of the landowners.

Mr Vosarogo said returning the land to the rightful landowners marked a historic step toward resolving long-standing land issues.

“The reversion of NG2 is our commitment to right the wrongs of the past and to address the historical cries of the mataqali Nadala landowners,” he said.

He also revealed that there was a secondary claim from mataqali Navitini, which the iTaukei Lands and Fisheries Commission (iTLFC) would resolve before the final declaration was made.

“We are working closely with the Solicitor-General’s Office to finalise and gazette the legal notice, and we anticipate completing this process before the end of the year,” Mr Vosarogo said.

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