Land claimants who missed the deadline are paying self-professed ”land lobbyists” fees to persuade the government to reopen the process and facilitate late claims.
Victor Mahlangu, spokesperson for the Gauteng Land Claims Commission, said individuals are giving late claimants false hope and making money out of them. In many cases, the deception was blatant fraud.
People dispossessed of land under apartheid had until December 1998 to lodge claims with the Land Claims Commission, which estimates that less than 10% met the deadline. The government has repeatedly dismissed the possibility of an extension.
Mahlangu said people were paying between R50 and R200 to lobbyists and the commission was considering drastic action against fraudsters.
Among the lobbyists is the Alexandra Land and Property Owners Association (Alpoa). Jacob Segopa, association secretary, conceded it had been ”charging membership fees”, but insisted his organisation was genuine. ”How would we pay administration costs?” Segopa said about 300 late claimants in Alexandra had registered with Alpoa.
Alpoa is part of the Gauteng land claims restitution committee, which Segopa also chairs.
A late claimant who paid the committee is hopeful: ”We’re positive we’ll get our land back. They said we would.”
The committee has opened a case against the government in the Land Claims Court, aimed at extending the deadline.