Shorter Land Claims window requested

The Greater Dobsonville Heritage Foundation, representing 2 500 land claimants, has requested that should land claims be opened as mooted by the government, the period for lodging claims should be shortened to expire on 13 June 2014 and not 31 December 2018.

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 This would help fast-track the applications of elderly claimants, said the secretary general Mostomi Mokhine.

The Foundation also requested that financial compensation for land should not be restricted.

Since the initial land claims window period closed in 1998, government has only finalised and settled some 59 000 of 77 000 valid claims at a cost of R25,2 billion.

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In a recent press release, the DA noted that the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has, in the past been clear that it does not have sufficient funding to deal with the current outstanding land claims.

The DA said it is estimated that the government needs R 179 billion to settle the outstanding claims.