Land reform takes to the road

President Jacob Zuma opened the second land restitution claims window on 30 June 2014, and a total of 116 543 new claims were reportedly lodged to 30 September 2015. The second window for land restitution claims will close on 30 June 2019.

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A statement issued by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR), said that it had purchased four specially equipped buses and two all-terrain 4WD trucks that could serve as mobile lodgement offices, visiting rural areas to accept land restitution claims from residents.

The DRDLR said the vehicles were “part of the drive to speed up delivery on the land reform programme” and had reportedly already accepted approximately 14 700 land restitution claims.

The DRDLR said that by 30 June 2015, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights had settled 78 138 land claims, totalling 3 231 787ha and acquired for R18,7 billion, that had been lodged before the 31 December 1998 cut-off date for the first claims window.

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A further R9,1 billion had been awarded to land restitution claimants who had opted for financial compensation as opposed to receiving land. However, 7 997 claims lodged during the first window remained outstanding as at 30 June 2015.

Schedules for the movements of the mobile lodgement offices can be accessed on the DRDLR’s website or at 0800 007 095.