Cape Town - The February anniversary marking 50 years since District Six was declared a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act has come and gone, but the waiting continues for many still dreaming of returning to the place they called home.
Time is running out, especially for the elderly, such as Catherine and Cyril Wagner, aged 91 and 92, respectively.
Last week, Cyril was desperately ill with the family wondering if he would pull through.
Daughter Freda van der Merwe, whom the couple lives with in Elsies River, said they had been worried, but he had made a good recovery.
She said they attended a meeting hosted by the District Six Working Committee last month, where they were told they would be the first couple to move into the new houses due to be completed early next year.
“It feels like there is still something to look forward to.”
On Tuesday, Catherine said she had not given up hope, although it had been a long wait.
“I still have a firm belief that we are going to get a house. And I will cry and then I will rejoice when it happens.”
But Cyril said he would not believe it until he saw the house and was handed the keys.
“We have heard so many promises but nothing has happened.”
He said he found it strange that the documents of so many claimants, including their own, had been “lost”.
“It seemed to be more about who you knew,” he said.
The couple said they had lodged their claim in 2000.
Western Cape Department of Rural Development and Land Reform spokesman Vuyani Nkasayi earlier told the Cape Argus the couple had missed the restitution cut-off date of December 31, 1998, and their reference number was for claims submitted after the reopening of land claims in 2014.
He said there were still claims lodged before 1998, including District Six Claims, which the Lands Claim Commission was still processing before claims lodged after July 1, 2014 could be processed.
Shahied Ajam, chairman of the District Six Working Committee, said their database showed that between 2 000 and 3 000 papers had been lost.
Ajam said he had promised the Wagners they would be first on the list for the next phase of houses under construction.
“I made a solemn promise that I would help them fight to the bitter end.”
He said he was trying to arrange meetings with the local land claims officials to find out why they had not been fast-tracking the process.
“There seems to be a deliberate slowing down of the verification process.”
Ajam added that many former District Six residents were tired of waiting and had suggested occupying the land.
On Tuesday, the Cape Argus asked Nkasayi whether the couple was going to be fast-tracked considering their age, but he did not respond.
Cape Argus