Residents of Ga-Sekhukhune have welcomed the intervention of the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill, which when implemented will ensure that all people of the area have an opportunity to claim back the land of their forefathers.
On the day marking the 105 years since the 1913 Native Land Act came into effect, the people of the greater Sekhukhune area affirmed the proposed amendments and called for the speedy resolution of claims. They made their views known during public hearings hosted by the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform in Jane Furse, Limpopo.
For community member Mr Butibuti Mabuso, the amendments are urgently needed so as to right a historic wrong inflicted on the people of the area. However, he emphasised the need to protect food security. “We support this Bill, but we propose that the state must be given powers to intervene in a case where productive land is now fallow following restitution. Government must have authority to lease that land to others to ensure food security,” Mr Mabuso said.
For another community member Ms Saole Mehlape, the challenge of distant Land Reform offices must be avoided if the new phase is to make any meaningful impact. One of the reasons highlighted by claimants for why they missed the 1998 deadline was because the offices are far away, which made it impossible to lodge claims.
“I propose the establishment of constituency offices to enable people to lodge claims closer to where they live. Polokwane is far for people of this area, especially the elderly. If an office is set up nearer, then people will be able to lodge their claim,” Ms Mehlape said.
Despite the majority of people who supported the amendments, there were those who did not support the Bill. For Mr Kabelo Mohale, there was no urgency in amending the Act because the initial claims have not all been concluded. The department has reported that presently, there are 7 419 old land claims that have not yet been settled out of the almost 80 000 claims lodged.
“What is the urgency to pass this Bill? We all know there is a backlog in settling land claims from the initial phase, but we want to pile more claims before we have concluded with the first batch of claims,” Mr Mohale protested. He proposed that the initial claims be settled before any attempt to re-open the lodgement of claims.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Phumuzile Ngwenya-Mabila, thanked the people of ga-Sekhukhune for their invaluable inputs and assured them that they will be incorporated into the final Bill. “Of course we can’t incorporate every suggestion that has been made here, but the inputs made have ensured that we are richly empowered as we finalise the Bill,” Ms Ngwenya-Mabila said.
The Chairperson also highlighted the committee’s concerns about the lack of title deeds for beneficiaries of land reform. Mr Stephen Masoga had earlier complained that residents of plots in the area do not have title deeds.
Ms Ngwenya-Mabila assured Mr Masoga: “That programme is close to the hearts of Members of this committee, I assure you that we will continue to monitor whether the department has delivered on the title deeds as promised in this meeting.”
The committee will now continue to Mpumalanga as part of the extensive public hearings process as instructed by the Constitutional Court.
Malatswa Molepo
20 June 2018
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