District 6 land claimants to take legal action

.

.

Published Mar 3, 2015

Share

Cape Town - More than 1 000 District Six land claimants are set to take legal action against the Land Claims Commission after waiting almost two decades to receive restitution for land lost during apartheid.

The 1 135 families – who are still awaiting compensation despite a February 2014 deadline set by President Jacob Zuma – will be laying formal complaints at the Human Rights Commission and public protector this month.

Taking up the cudgels on behalf of the claimants is the District Six Working Committee (DSWC).

DSWC chairman Shahied Ajam said land reform had been a flawed process since its inception in 1994.

“The process is a complete sham and not what the constitution intended,” Ajam said.

“In relation to restorative justice, as prescribed in the Constitution and Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994 in the Western Cape and particularly District Six, the process has failed dismally.

“The DSWC will approach the Human Rights Commission and public protector and make formal complaints about this matter on behalf of the families.”

Ajam had written a letter expressing the claimants’ concerns to provincial Land Claims Commissioner Michael Worsnip. He had e-mailed the letter on February 3.

The Western Cape Department of Rural Development and Land Reform spokesman, Vuyani Nkasayi, said on Monday that the department had not received the letter.

When the Cape Times asked Worsnip’s secretary, Clareen Collins, she said the department had changed its e-mail addresses last year, but had failed to change the e-mail on their website.

In the letter, Ajam wrote: “During fact-finding missions we found many people still unaware that they can claim for land restitution.

“Some displayed complete apathy for the system and related a myriad of shocking stories, which include corrupt practices and being treated like second-class citizens at land claims offices. Others mentioned being coerced into signing for monetary compensation because land was unavailable. This reeks of the same oppressive tactics during apartheid.”

He said the DSWC planned to march to Parliament, the Land Claims Office, mayor Patricia de Lille’s office and to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

“He knows where our offices are. Let him come there,” Nkasayi said.

De Lille said: “Settling land claims is not a competency of local government. If they want to march, they need to march to the offices of Minister (Gugile) Nkwinti because he chairs the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights.”

[email protected]

Cape Times

Related Topics: