Pretoria – The Commission on the Restitution of Land Rights has invited all individuals and communities -- who lodged their claims before the 31 December 1998 deadline -- to take part in the district based stakeholder engagement sessions.
This is so the commission can get updates on outstanding claims (old order claims) lodged before the 31 December 1998 initial deadline for lodgement of land claims.
The engagement sessions will start in Limpopo in Capricorn District Municipality on 13 April 2016 at Bolivia Lodge.
Pulane Molefe from the Office of the Chief Land Claims Commissioner said the engagement initiative is aimed at building better relationships between the commission, individuals and communities who still have outstanding claims from the restitution claims lodged before the cut-off date of 31 December 1998.
“The commission understands its dual role of receiving new claims and the need to focus its priority on settling and finalising all outstanding claims as required by the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act.
“As at 31 December 2015, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights had settled 98% of all the claims lodged by 31 December 1998, with a total of 7 584 claims still outstanding across the country,” Molefe said.
All individuals, including communities who lodged their claims by 31 December 1998 (whose claims are still outstanding), community leaders, representatives from civil society, councillors and other stakeholders are invited to be part of the engagement sessions, which will be rolled out throughout the country until March 2017.
Information regarding the dates and venues for the sessions will be communicated via the media and other local communication channels including the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform website www.drdlr.gov.za.
All those who want to lodge or have already lodged their claims from June 2014 (new order claims) have been encouraged not to come to the sessions, as the focus will be purely on the old order claims lodged by 31 December 1998.
Those who seek to lodge new claims are requested to visit the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform website to get information on the lodgement office nearest to where they stay. – SAnews.gov.za
