CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape on Friday welcomed the ruling by the Western Cape High Court in favour of District Six land claimants.
The high court found that former human settlements minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane was in contempt of the Land Claims Court for not complying with a court order to come up with a comprehensive restitution plan to return former residents to the historic District Six neighbourhood.
Nkoana-Mashabane, now minister of women, youth and persons with disabilities, was taken to court by the claimants after she missed a February court deadline. Matlhodi Maseko, a DA member of the provincial legislature, said the fact that Nkoana-Mashabane has been ordered to pay the costs in her personal capacity was a victory for District Six land claimants.
“As we continue to hold the ANC [African National Congress] at national government to account for failing to carry out this momentous land restitution project, a continuing injustice ever since the forceful removals under the apartheid regime.
“I want to reiterate our call for the mandate and budget for housing of the District Six land restitution project to be given to the Western Cape Government where the DA has the political will and efficient governance to realise this project once and for all. It is high time that justice be delivered to the people of District Six,” she said.
Maseko said a 94-year-old District Six land claimant died earlier this year without having realised her dream of moving back to her childhood home. She said the national government has been led by five different ANC presidents but not one had recognised the need to accelerate the District Six land reform process.
The human settlement department had told the Land Claims Court that the redevelopment of District Six would cost around R11bn and restitution around R2.4bn, and that it was not able to afford that sum.