Pretoria-The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will on Thursday hold discussions into the 1913 Native Land Act.
The discussions, said the North West Provincial Legislature on Wednesday, will involve the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Local Government, farmer’s unions civil organisations and political parties and will kick off at 9am at the Legislature Chamber.
Inputs from these discussions will form part of public hearings that the committee will be conducting on the 1913 Native Land Native Act on Thursday and Friday.
The departments will make presentations, giving feedback on progress made in the North West since 1994 on restitution and redistribution of land, post settlement and agricultural support as well as existing challenges confronting farm dwellers among others.
The Act formerly known as the Bantu Land Act, 1913 became a law on the 19 June 1913 which limited African Land ownership to 7% and later increased to 13% through the 1936 Native Trust and Land Act of South Africa. It restricted black people from buying or occupying land except as employees of a white person.
It was only then in 1994, a Commission of Restitution was established under the leadership of former President Nelson Mandela to provide equal rights to victims of racially motivated land dispossession , in line with the provisions of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No. 22 of 1994).
The public hearings to be held on Friday will seek to get public opinion on the progress made in reversing the legacy of the 1913 Native Land Act, on issues such as restitution and redistribution of land and post settlement and agricultural support.
A public hearing will be held at the Legislature Chamber tomorrow at 10am while on Friday another public hearing will be held at the Ngaka Modiri Molema District at the Khunwana Tribal Hall, Khunwana.
Another will be held at the Matlwang Community Hall, New Machavie at the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District. –SAnews.gov.za
