Durban — Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana will officially hand over more than 15 000 hectares of land to a KwaZulu-Natal community at the weekend.

The people of Phongola, north of KwaZulu-Natal were forcibly removed from their land during apartheid.

This massive land restoration will see a total of 657 households who were removed when their area was declared a "black spot" taking ownership of a game reserve.

Spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal Land Claims Commission, Zwelihle Mememela, said the claimants were removed to various resettlements including Jozini and Nongoma.

The land restoration will take place in Milimani Game Sanctuary in Phongola,

"Among the land to be restored is a 3 000 hectares of Milimani game reserve, which is already generating the much-needed revenue for the beneficiaries through a thriving lodge establishment and professional game hunting," said Mr Memela.

He said Ms Xingwana, accompanied by Chief Land Claims Commissioner Tozi Gwanya, would officially hand over the land to the beneficiaries in an event that would put an end to the sufferings of the claimants.

Mr Memela described this as a major land restoration in the Zululand District Municipality.