Two small KwaZulu-Natal communities, including South Africa’s smallest minority group, received the title deeds to their properties on Saturday.
A former Cato Manor community and Durban’s Zanzibari community were handed title deeds by Deputy Land Affairs Minister Dirk du Toit. They were disposed of their land, at Cato Manor, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, and on the Bluff in Durban, in terms of apartheid-era legislation.
Land Claims Commission, KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Zwelihle Memela said 191 households from the Bluff’s Zanzibari community — South Africa’s smallest minority group — received title deeds on Saturday.
The Zanzibari community, whose ancestors came from Tanzania’s island of Zanzibar came to South Africa as slaves and liberated in South Africa over 130 years ago.
They are a small group of African Muslims who have maintained their traditions for all these years.
Memela said their original homes were destroyed and they were forced to leave the Bluff in 1955 to be resettled in the Indian community of Chatsworth, just outside Durban.
”We have ascertained the validity of their (land restitution) claim… they have indicated that they want light commercial office park, housing and cultural tourism facilities,” he said.
The monetary value of their claim is R13,5-million.
About 6 000 former Cato Manor householders, forcibly removed in the 1950s and 1960s and relocated to Chatsworth, have applied for some form of restitution, Memela said.
Of this number 107 claimants opted for housing assistance, and were awarded their title deeds on Saturday ”so that never, ever again can someone dispossess these people willy-nilly”, said Memela.
An amount of R5,8-million has been set aside to build housing for these 107 people at a plot chosen in Chesterville, near Durban.
”Today is our celebration for the Zanzibar community and these 107,” said Memela.
He said around 800 people had gathered at Durban’s Exhibition Centre for the celebration. ‒ Sapa