Ongoing wait for D6 land claimants needs to be resolved urgently

CAPE TOWN – The District Six Working Committee says the continued wait for land claimants needs to be addressed urgently.

One hundred and eight applicants are anxiously awaiting when they will receive their new home.

However, construction remains ongoing and a new date has not been provided by the Department of Lands following several delays in recent months.

Karen Breytenbach of the District Six working committee said the restitution process for those forcibly evicted during apartheid had been nothing short of chaotic.

“The first thing is the date, so they don’t know until when the move-in has been postponed. Number 2, they don’t know who’s on the list, so those who don’t make it want to appeal…a lot of them their.”

She said those claimants, however, could continue due to the lack of an approved beneficiary list or clarity surrounding the appeals process.

There is also the emotional toll.

“For people who have been waiting for 30 years, who have been traumatized and re-traumatized by the difficulty of this restitution process, it is very difficult to hear that there are delays but we cannot tell you by how much of time.”

Some families have already put plans in place to prepare homes for elderly and frail residents, but this has been hampered by delays.

The Department of Land Affairs has yet to respond.

The majority of these residents reside in poor communities and lack the means to ensure that new homes are safe or equipped for the frail or disabled.

Anyone in a position to donate can do so by contacting the District Six Working Committee at [email protected]. Please put “Donation D6 Ph3” in the subject line.

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