Land claims target in sight: govt
Karen Pretorius
26 May 2004
Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza is confident that all outstanding land claims will be settled by December 2005.
"We are confident that it is possible to meet that target," said Didiza, referring to the target date set by President Thabo Mbeki for all land claims to be completed.
Addressing the media in Cape Town on Tuesday, Didiza said: "From 1994 to date we have settled more than 48 000 claims as at March 2004, and this gives us an indication that in the remaining years we will be able to conclude the task."
Didiza said an analysis and validation process of land claims had given the department a clear indication of valid claims, adding, however, that the government still faced challenges in the process of settling outstanding claims.
These included claims on large tracts of agricultural land, which, she said, needed partnerships to ensure that the land remained usable for agriculture and was sustainable after being
handed over to claimants.
"This is where some of the opportunities for existing land owners emerge in terms of working with their new neighbours," Didiza said.
Challenges have also been experienced with claims on land with mineral deposits. Didiza said a balance had to be found between the rights of holders of the land and those who were forcibly removed from it.
The department also had to contend with the escalation in prices in the South African land market.
"We are finding various ways in which we can deal with that problem by working with the existing commercial agricultural sector," she said.
Didiza listed claims on conservation land as another challenge, calling for a balance between the needs of communities and the demands of conservation.
The minister said the focus this year would be on protecting labour tenants whose tenure rights were often threatened, especially in farms around Utrecht, Vryheid and Newcastle in northern KwaZulu-Natal,
as well as parts of Mpumalanga such as Wakkerstroom and Ermelo.
Source: BuaNews
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