Cape Town - A date for judgment to be delivered in the District Six restitution case will be made in August.
Initially judgment was supposed to be made on Friday, but the court was still in recess.
“We are a bit disappointed that the judgment was not made, but we would respect the court’s decision if it was made,” said Shahied Ajam, chairperson of the District Six Working Committee.
Ajam said that he would be requesting a meeting with the Minister of Public Works, Patrica de Lille.
The Cape Argus reported last week that in a major victory for the District Six restitution cause, De Lille halted plans to sell 25 pieces of land belonging to her department. According to the District Six Working Committee, the department intended to sell 25 pieces of land within the boundaries of District Six.
Seventeen of those parcels were identified for development.
“I would like to talk to her about the parcels of land in District Six, because Public Works should donate that land to the people of District Six,” he said.
The Land Claims Court must rule on whether to hold the Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform minister in contempt of court, because the government missed a deadline to provide a proper plan for restitution.
The court had ordered the government to come up with a comprehensive plan by February, but claimants were unhappy with the presentation. Newly appointed Land Reform Minister Thoko Didiza has been mum about her department’s progress in redeveloping District Six for restitution.
She has, however, met with the representatives last week.
In August, her office could be held in contempt of court for the inaction of her predecessor.
Former rural development and land reform minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said it would eventually cost R11 billion to develop District Six, of which R2.4bn would be needed to provide housing for the just fewer than 1 000 remaining claimants.
Nkoana-Mashabane said the department would only be able to contribute R351 million to the construction of the remaining houses and that other sources of revenue including public/private partnership would have to be explored.
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