NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 1665
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 22-2009]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 16 October 2009
1665. Mrs P de Lille (ID) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land
Reform:
(1) What has been the delay regarding the land claim of a certain group
against a certain farm (details furnished);
(2) what were the reasons for the alleged delay in the publication of the
Government Gazette regarding this land;
(3) whether the Limpopo Land Claims office have dealt with the matter in
accordance with the land claims policy; if not, why not; if so, what
are the relevant details;
(4) whether he will take any steps to expedite the matter; if not, why
not; if so, what steps?
NW2121E
THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:
(1) The land claim in question involves four overlapping claims and a
large number of land portions including the Kruger National Park,
mining land, game farms, towns and villages, all of which required
extensive research. In addition to explaining the restitution process
to all stakeholders, these stakeholders had to be consulted in the
conducting of in loco inspections and feasibility studies. While this
in itself was a time consuming process, further delays were caused by
some uncooperative land owners who refused to permit officials to
enter their farms in order to conduct feasibility studies. There were
also community conflicts which had to be resolved before the land
claim could be processed further. In addition, there is a court
challenge in respect of the validity of the claim by the Majeje Tribal
Authority, the outcome of which will ultimately impact on the
finalisation of the claim.
(2) The delay in the publication of the gazette notice resulted from the
overlapping claims that necessitated extensive research, as well as
the time taken to resolve the disputes amongst the claimant
communities. The strike at the government printers further delayed
publication.
(3) Yes. The claim has been processed in accordance with the Restitution
of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No 22 of 1994) and the Rules of the Land
Claims Commission.
(4) Yes. The Regional Land Claims Commissioner: Limpopo has been
requested to expedite the resolution of any matters hampering the
processing of this claim, and to ensure the completion of the
feasibility study and valuations so that the negotiation process can
commence. The appointment of a panel of assessors in the Land Claims
Court has been concluded, which, it is hoped will contribute to more
expeditious processing of cases.