The regional land claims commission and the body representing the Pniel estate land claimants in the Northern Cape had not reached agreement over their differences on Tuesday afternoon, legal counsel said.
Legal counsel for the Pniel community property association (CPA) Adrian Horwitz said the parties were still engaged in an attempt to reach a settlement.
”There are two proposals floating between the parties and we are trying to see if we can reach an agreement.”
Horwitz said the CPA was waiting for a reply from the legal representatives of the Free State and Northern Cape land claims commission.
”We are in a waiting situation,” Horwitz said, adding that he did not want to speculate if the parties would see Kimberley High Court Judge SA Majiedt on Tuesday afternoon.
The judge urged the two parties on Monday to try and settle their dispute out of court. However, the court would hear argument in the matter if no settlement was reached.
This comes after the regional land claims commission brought an application to place the CPA under its administration.
The state has filed papers in court to take over the responsibilities of the CPA until a new body can be elected.
The commission says it received various complaints about the CPA from community members. The CPA, a legal entity, is opposing the matter.
The Pniel estate, near Barkly West, became the first farm in South Africa to be expropriated by government from its owners, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa.
The state took over the land on March 15.
During a recent meeting between the lands claim commission and Pniel claimants, the commission said the handing over of the farm to the claimants was pending the finalisation of ”all the outstanding issues” around the CPA. — Sapa