By Pfumelani Tsedu
It is with no doubt that the department’s stakeholder engagement initiative on land claims is serving our people in the communities. On the chilly morning of Saturday 25 June 2022, the officials of the department arrived at Saselamani as arranged, to engage with Saselamani and Ximixoni claimants about their land claims, only to find many people, keenly waiting to get information. It is with no doubt that Saselamani and surroundings is occupied with people who were hardly hit by 1913 Land Dispossession Act judging by the attendance. We targetred 350 and over a thousand turned up to get an update on the progress of their claims.
Hard as it was to work under that weather condition, many people as they were, there was a lot of cooperation by the communities. Many people were assisted with information they needed as officials addressed them and responded to their questions. Amongst others, it was clarified that paying a lawyer to handle a land claim is not a guaranteed to fast- track the process. The Commission has to follow due processes regarding the settlement of claims., so people must not waste their hard-earned money trying to fast -track their claims. Restitution of land rights is a free government service.
The commission assisted claimants with lost land claims documents by issuing them with new acknowledgement letters. All this was done in line with the message from the management to the restitution Team which says “Remember, what you do is not just a job, as you engage with claimants be gently. You need to treat them with dignity they deserve because their pain is still as it was when the land was taken’’. The officials conducted themselves in accordance with the message and showed courtesy and those with disabilities being first to be served. However, due to many claims in that area, a follow-up engagement is being arranged for the month of July 2022 and ongoing.
