Insufficient money for new land claims

Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti. Photo: Siyabulela Duda

Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti. Photo: Siyabulela Duda

Published Oct 14, 2014

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Johannesburg - Processing the expected new land claims will cost billions, and there isn’t enough money.

Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti told Parliament that his department did not have enough funds to process the expected claims.

He was replying to a question from DA MP Thomas Walters.

“It is estimated that 397 000 new claims are likely to be lodged with the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights, with the cost to settle the claims ranging between R129 billion and R179bn,” Nkwinti said.

The estimates emerged from a regulatory impact assessment conducted to assess the impact of reopening the claims process.

Walters asked if the department had enough budget and resources to handle the estimated 397 000 claims, to which Nkwinti replied “no”.

Walters asked if any amount was allocated for the reopening of land claims and, if not, why the department had a business plan “that does not align with the budget”. Nkwinti responded “no”.

The Budget provides R2.68bn for the land restitution programme in 2014/15 - 8 percent less than last year’s budget.

For 2015/16 it’s a little less at R2.66bn, with R3.26bn the next year.

The plans outlined in the Budget are “increasing the number of land claims finalised from 602 in 2012 to 983 over the medium term”, and “increasing the number of claims settled from 602 in 2012 to 1 457 over the medium term”.

This includes setting up 23 lodgement offices and nine mobile lodgement units to process claims.

The Star

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