Millions of rands payed to Wayeni, Dzumeri land claimants
The Wayeni and Dzumeri community land claimants will share R82 million in compensation for land rights infringements that took place during the Apartheid era.
LIMPOPO – Regional Communications Manager for the Land Claims Commission, Avhashoni Magada said the Wayeni community, Malele and Mahlangu families were forcibly removed from their land and homes near Elim under the jurisdiction of the Makhado Municipality in 1966.
He said the land which they occupied was to be incorporated into the Venda Homeland.
They were removed due to the fact that they were Tsonga speaking residents.
“During the dispossession, claimants were moved to various areas such as Holofani, Njhakanjhaka and Mashamba and the majority of them moved to other Tsonga speaking villages in Wayeni, situated in Vhembe. The Bantu Authorities Act 68 of 1951 laid the foundation for the establishment of homelands and self-governing states in South Africa leading to the establishment of the Venda Republic and Gazankulu Homeland governments.
“The payments to be made to Wayeni claimants will benefit 1 262 individuals from 354 households. A total of R42 million will be paid to the Wayeni claimants, with each household receiving an amount of R118 692,” he said.
“Dzumeri community land claimants will receive financial vouchers worth R49,2 million. The dispossession of the Dzumeri community took place between 1967 and 1968 on the basis that the community was classified as Tsonga-speaking people, and the land was earmarked for occupation by the Sotho-speaking people in order to establish former homelands, namely Lebowa and Gazankulu in terms of ethnic affiliation as defined by the former government,” he explained.
“The settlement for the Dzumeri community comprises of financial compensation and development plans.
“The amount of financial compensation to be paid to the 351 individual households is R38,9 million with each household receiving R110 947.
“An additional R10, 3 million has been set aside for community development projects,” he said.
“Both the Wayeni and Dzumeri financial compensation funds represent full and final settlement of the claims.
“The settlement of these claims, and the handover of financial compensation, is part of the processing and finalisation of claims that were lodged with the Commission by 31 December 1998,” he continued.
“The lodging of land claims was reopened on 1 July 2014 and was set to stay open until 30 June 2019, by the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act 2014, but the Amendment Act was found to be invalid by the Constitutional Court effective from 28 July 2016.
“The Court found that Parliament failed to satisfy its obligations to facilitate public involvement as required by the Constitution when it passed the Amendment Act,” he said.
“The court ordered that the claims lodged between 1 July 2014 and 28 July 2016 were validly lodged, but interdicted the commission from processing them until the claims lodged by 31 December 1998 are finalised,” said Magada.
