Northern Cape citizens support reopening of land claims
A majority of citizens who attended today’s public hearings on the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill in Postmasburg, Northern Cape, have told the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Affairs that they support the Bill’s intended objective of reopening the period for the lodgement of land claims after the December 1998 closing date.
Most of the people who spoke during the public hearings from the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality, said land restitution would not be a success if others were left out of the process, and supported the Bill, which seeks to reopen the process after research found that most people were left out of the first phase which closed in 1998.
The Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform is conducting extensive public hearings, countrywide, on the redrafted Bill after it was reintroduced in the National Assembly as a Private Members’ Bill by Member of Parliament Mr Pumzile Mnguni, following a Constitutional Court judgment that nullified the Restitution of Land Rights Act of 2014.
Parliament passed the Restitution of Land Rights in 2014 to reopen the lodgement of land claims for a period of five years, and the Land Access Movement of South Africa (Lamosa) took the matter to the Constitutional Court, which declared that the Act was invalid, because “Parliament failed to satisfy its obligation to facilitate public involvement in accordance with Section 72 (1)(a) of the Constitution”.
This time Parliament wants to ensure a thorough and extensive public consultation process to allow as many as possible South Africans to make inputs on the Bill.
The committee appreciated the inputs and suggestions from the public, and said Members of Parliament also learnt from ordinary people.
The Public hearings in the Northern Cape continue tomorrow (Tuesday, 19 June) to Pixley Ka Seme District in Prieska.
Details of the Public hearings in the Northern Cape
Date: Tuesday 19 June 2018
Venue: Prixley Town Hall, Prieska
Time: 10h00
For media enquiries or interviews with the Leader of the delegation, please contact:
Sakhile Mokoena
Tel: 021 403 2804
Cell: 081 705 2130
E-mail: smokoena@parliament.gov.za
