Members of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform will this week resume their countrywide public consultation process on the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill.
According to a statement issued by Parliament, the process resumes on Monday, 13 January and will afford the interested people and stakeholders in the North West, Northern Cape, Free State and Gauteng an opportunity to make comments and inputs on the Bill, which is currently before the committee.
The Bill seeks to amend the cut-off date for lodging claims for restitution; make provision for the advertisement of claims and regulate appointment of Land Claims Court Judge.
“The process will lead to the second phase of land claims and restitution to allow all people and communities that were dispossessed of their land as a result of the 19 June 1913 Native Land Act, including those who missed the deadline of the first lodgement phase (31st Dec 1998), to lodge their claims through the Land Claims Commission.”
Last year, the Committee facilitated the consultation process in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
The process will culminate in public hearings in Parliament later this month. – SAnews.gov.za