Johannesburg - The Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti, will tackle the issues surrounding the exceptions to the 1913 Natives Land Act cut-off date during a national dialogue this weekend.
The two-day conference will take place at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng from November 20 to 21 where the country plans to address land dispossessions prior to 1913 will be be discussed.
Nkwinti said the government was conscious of the fact that the law as it stood, didn’t accommodate the country’s Khoi and San communities who suffered dispossession long before the passing of the 1913 Land Act.
“Their plight is not forgotten. I want to assure them that a policy on the exceptions to the 1913 Natives Land Act cut-off date is being developed that seeks to address their concerns.”
This and the inclusion of heritage sites and historical landmarks will spearhead the dialogue as well as the finalizing of consultations on the Exceptions Policy Framework.
The minister said his department has been committed to as much engagement as possible since the land claims process was reopened during July 2014.
This allows people who were removed from their land under apartheid rule, but who missed an earlier deadline for lodging claims for compensation, to do so until 30 June 2019.
He said the restitution of land was necessary for redress, reconciliation and nation building, and that it is in line with the National Development Plan’s goal of eliminating poverty and reducing inequality by 2030.
“It is my conviction that the issue of access to land is one of the fundamental elements to the transformation of the rural economy of our country, where the burden of land dispossession was mostly felt.”
African News Agency
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