Pretoria land claim might be invalid

This after two land claims were registered by Mkwaduba paramount chief Victor Lekhuleni of the Bakgatla ba Lekhuleni clan.

The claims were published in the Government Gazette in December 2014 and February 2015, respectively.

The commission in a statement said the publication of the claims in the Government Gazette did not automatically give them validity, Rekord North reported.

An initial claim had previously been lodged by Lekhuleni, but it was reportedly found to be non-compliant in terms of Section 2 of the Restitution Act, as there were no records of the claim having been lodged.

However, it was later accepted after Lekhuleni went to the Land Claims Court to review the decision.

“The Land Claims Court noted that there is a 1% arguable case, and that the land claim meets the minimum requirements for acceptance in terms of the act,” the commission said.

Both of Lekhuleni’s claims include about 500 privately owned properties, nine farms, shopping centres, churches, schools and government-owned land.

According to the claims, Lekhuleni’s clan was removed from the land by police during the 1950s and early 1960s.

– Caxton News Service