Siyandhani Airport project faces setback

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02-06-2025
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Letaba Herald
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Plans to redevelop the former Giyani Airport stall due to legal disputes, ancestral grave concerns, and lack of official approval.

LIMPOPO – The construction of Siyandhani Airport, recently launched in Siyandhani village by Hosi Siyandhani in collaboration with Bombo Investment Group, appears to have hit a stumbling block even before it has commenced.

The project, which was scheduled to begin construction on June 1 this year, received both criticism and support from various stakeholders and members of the public in Giyani at the time of its launch due to allegations of illegal development.

The controversy stemmed from the fact that the proposed site is already a proclaimed area, formerly known as Giyani Airport. As such, any development on the land required formal approval from the Department of Transport and other relevant authorities.

However, the proper procedure was bypassed. The Bombo Investment Group, in collaboration with the local chief, went ahead with plans to develop the airport, presenting the project as a job creation opportunity for the local community.

Although many Giyani residents welcomed the initiative, it backfired when numerous individuals and stakeholders voiced strong opposition to it. Some of those who opposed the project were families with graves in the area.

“The site where Siyandhani Airport is located was originally occupied by Maboko Basopa Mthombeni, the son of a wealthy cattle farmer named Mayingani, a descendant of Sekeni,” explained Thembani Gift Maswanganyi, one of the trustees of the Maboko Family Trust.

According to him, Maboko died in 1969 at the age of 90 and was laid to rest on the site in question, along with other family members.

As a result, the area is home to the ancestral graves of the Maboko family.

“When the Gazankulu government proclaimed the site for the construction of an airport in 1981, it consulted with the Maboko family, and it was agreed that the graves would not be disturbed. That’s why we are concerned now that a private company has suddenly appeared to develop the site without consulting us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the airport, which has been in existence since 1983, was originally known as Giyani Airways and operated as a subsidiary of Bantu Investment Corporation, which is well-known today as BIC.

It was apparently established to facilitate the transportation of farms and other general products from Giyani to the international market.

Meanwhile, Gateway Airports Authority Limited [GAAL] has released a statement saying it has noted with serious concern the recent launch and related media coverage regarding the purported infrastructure development of Siyandhani Airport.

“As the official custodian responsible for the management of all public aviation assets within the Limpopo province, GAAL is both dismayed and deeply concerned by Bombo Investment Group’s decision to proceed with this initiative,” read the statement.

The statement further says the decision to continue with the development was taken despite a formal warning from the Department of Transport not to continue with the launch of the project.

“The facility is a state-owned aviation asset, and as such, any investment or development related to it must follow due legal and regulatory processes. Given the circumstances, GAAL and the Department of Transport and Community Safety hereby formally distance ourselves from the unauthorised activities currently taking place at Siyandhani Airport,” read the statement.

When asked whether the group would continue with their initiative given the circumstances, Bombo Investment Group spokesperson Ishmael Baloyi said they would provide answers after a meeting with GAAL and the Department of Transport on Wednesday.

However, following the meeting, he failed to respond to calls, despite having promised to clarify the issue.

The Siyandhani Royal Family also could not be reached for comment. Its spokesperson, Madala Chabalala, was unavailable by phone and did not respond to messages sent to him. As things stand, the project appears to have been put on hold until further notice.