The Legal Resources Centre (LRC), a public-interest law firm working on land issues, expressed scepticism on Thursday at the claim in Wednesday’s national budget that the land-restitution process is nearing completion.
The Treasury announced that an extra R1-billion would be set aside over the next three years to settle the 5Â 083 outstanding land-restitution claims.
“As the restitution programme nears completion, both human and financial resources are being shifted to accelerate the pace of land redistribution,” it said.
The LRC said on Thursday that according to independent assessments, a mere 150 community claims (as opposed to claims by individuals) in which agricultural land was restored were settled between 1996 and mid-2005.
It said there was no breakdown in the budget of how many of the 5Â 083 claims were community claims, the number of community members involved, or the extent and whereabouts of the land.
“Such information will provide the grounds to assess whether the amount set aside will be sufficient to secure the settlement of hugely complicated claims and whether the restitution programme is indeed nearing completion,” the LRC said.
Claims that are already public knowledge, such as those on 48% of Mondi’s forestry holdings, 70% of the land in Limpopo and a large percentage of sugar-cane plantations, point to the likelihood that the process could still take many years to complete.
The LRC welcomed the announcement of the planned appointment of another 5Â 000 agricultural extension officers.
“We trust that the money that has been set aside will be sufficient and that … these officers are adequately equipped with seed, equipment and transport, so that they do not end up sitting in their offices because there is no petrol,” it said. — Sapa
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