Over 83 000 land claims settled
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Minister, Thoko Didiza, says a total of 83 067 land claims have been
settled since the inception of the Land Restitution Programme in 1995 to
2023.
Didiza said the number equates to 94% of the old-order claims that
have been successfully settled, with about 2.3 million people having
benefitted from the restitution.
Presenting the research findings on the evaluation of South Africa's
Land Restitution Programme on Monday, Didiza said a total of R25 billion
was spent on the purchase and transfer of 3.9 million hectares.
“An additional R22.5 billion has been spent on financial compensation
for those beneficiaries who elected for financial compensation. Between
2019 and 2023, a total of 1 494 claims were settled, largely fuelled by
the department's interventions in fast-tracking the settlement of
claims,” Didiza said.
The study, which started in 2018 and included 2 664 households and 3
378 people, who were sampled and interviewed, found that the economic
power of the restitution beneficiaries increased by 16%, measured in per
capita per month, relative to the control sample.
The Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994 is among the first laws passed by the democratically elected government.
This was done with the conscious acknowledgement that land justice is
paramount, and restoration of Black people’s dignity and freedom is
central to a democratic dividend, said the Minister.
The Restitution of Land Rights Act made provisions for the
restitution of rights in land to people or communities dispossessed of
such rights after 1913.
The constitutionality of land restitution is preserved in Section
25(7) of the Constitution of South Africa which states that “a person or
community dispossessed of property after 19 June 1913 as a result of
past racially discriminatory laws or practices is entitled, to the
extent provided by an Act of Parliament, either to restitution of that
property or to equitable redress”.
Didiza said families of forced removal victims were fragmented for
decades, and conflicts that arose at post-settlement claims were a
function of a lack of social cohesion and trust created during a lengthy
period of disintegration.
The Minister said investments in communication and social cohesion
programmes would assist in mitigating the information gap and building
trust among beneficiaries.
She said from the study findings, the department can draw some policy insights.
“Firstly, the study findings are enlightening us to understand that
land restitution is not only about financial and economic justice but
also psychological and social restoration, a lesson we should bear in
mind when we evaluate the success or failures of land restitution
projects.
“Secondly, over and above the post-settlement support and skill
training, which we are already providing to beneficiaries as the
government, there is an additional need to formulate community
integration programmes,” Didiza said. – SAnews.gov.za
LINK: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/over-83-000-land-claims-settled
