Thousands of people are still in the dark regarding the status of their land restitution claims in District Six. However the vacant 93 hectares of land in the area has not been allocated to claimants. While government maintains it has seen progress in its campaign to speed up land restoration, aging land claimants feel differently. On the ground, community activists believe the restitution process has been hit with one stumbling block to the next.
“There is a lot of public talks and support for land reform but it seems government is doing nothing and all the pushing is coming from one side, the community,” says chairperson of the District Six Beneficiary and Redevelopment Trust, Dr Anwah Nagia.
Government has appointed deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe to lead a Land Reform delegation. The delegation has to report back to the cabinet in the next six months.
Motlanthe will be reporting back on issues pertaining to land, land reform and land restitution.  The delay has sparked outrage amongst the community.
“Of the 93 hectares of land only now people are hearing that 43 will be made available to them and we have been a democracy for over 20 years,” says Nagia.
Claimants are becoming impatient by the slow pace of service delivery by the land claims office.
Nagia says that more pressure should be placed on local land claims officials to speed up the process.
Residents are willing to take property which is of less value if it means the end of delays.
“People have said I’ll take any house, I’ll take anything even a two bedroom house as long as they just give me a house,” says Nagia.
Claimants will have to choose one of three options of relief including restoring their land, obtaining compensation or get alternative land. VOC