Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform resumes land restitution public hearings

Members of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform will next week resume their countrywide public consultation process on the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill.

The Bill seeks to amend the cut-off date for lodging claims for restitution; make provision for the advertisement of claims and regulate appointment of Land Claims Court Judge. The process resumes on Monday (13 January) and will afford the interested people and stakeholders in the North West, Northern Cape, Free State and Gauteng an opportunity to make comments and inputs on the Bill, which is currently before the Committee.

The process will lead to the second phase of land claims and restitution to allow all people and communities that were dispossessed of their land as a result of the 19 June 1913 Native Land Act, including those who missed the deadline of the first lodgement phase (31st Dec 1998), to lodge their claims through the Land Claims Commission.

Last year, the Committee facilitated the consultation process in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. The process will culminate in public hearings in Parliament later this month.

For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Foster Mohale
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 072 432 3792
Tel: 021 403 2239
Email: fmohale@parliament.gov.za

Draft Legislative Programme of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform on the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill [B 35 – 2013]