Invitation to Signing Ceremony for Gabriel Road Land Restitution Claimants

The City of Cape Town and the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights will celebrate the settling of a major land claim in Gabriel Road Circle in Plumstead at 10:00 on Saturday, 24 March. All media are welcome to attend this important event.

The Chief Land Claims Commissioner Thozamile Gwanya, the Regional Land Claims Commissioner Beverley Jansen, the City of Cape Town`s Mayoral Committee Member for Housing Councillor Dan Plato and Executive Director: Integrated Human Settlement Services Hans Smit, will be among the speakers at the event.

The City's Land Redistribution and Social Housing Department says the Regional Land Claims Commission, the Gabriel Road Land Claimants and itself have made history by settling the claim in a totally inclusive manner.
The Department of Land Affairs, represented by the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights, entered into an agreement with the City in terms of which the City donated 7 119m2 of land in the Dan Pienaar Circle, Gabriel Road in Plumstead for housing development as compensation for the tenancy rights lost by the 36 families.
The Steurhof community lost their tenancy rights when they were removed from the Council Cottages in Steurhof which were situated on erf 78538 during the late 1960s and the early 1970s, in line with the previous government's Group Areas Act.

The majority of the tenants were relocated to areas designated for coloured people such as the Lavender Hill and Manenberg. The thirty six families represent 49% of the total Steurhof claimant community who opted for housing development as compensation for their lost tenancy rights. 51% of the claimants received financial compensation
The City believes the agreement represents the best ever model for resolving land claim disputes, particularly in an urban context.

The fact that all spheres of Government contributed towards the agreement make it unique: the City made the land available, Province contributed housing subsidies and National Government contributed the Restitution Grants.

The City of Cape Town is the Implementing Agent in the deal, through its entity, the Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC). The agreement means claimants will receive land and houses at the same time.

Most of the claimants were tenants at the time of forced removals, but have now been upgraded to ownership rights through the Restitution Act. Unlike in other restitution claims - including District Six in Cape Town, Ndabeni in Wingfield and Tramway Park in Sea Point - in this case claimants will receive land and houses simultaneously, before the end of the year.

The City is working with the Land Claims Commission to assist the claimants to take occupation of the land, and there is excellent progress in this regard.

"The City would like to replicate this model in all restitution claims in the city. We urge the National and Provincial Government to continue to collaborate with us through the Department of Land Affairs and Housing," says Pogiso Molapo, the City's Manager: Land Restitution and Social Housing.

"The National Land Claims Commission Policy Forum and Restitution Forum say the City of Cape Town is the best performing city in the country regarding urban land redistribution claims, and the National Land Claims Commission Annual Report and Land Restitution Maps show that the City has the highest number of such claims in South Africa," he adds.

In addition to the Gabriel Road celebrations on Saturday, next month the City will celebrate the Solomons Restitution Claim in Constantia.

On average the City settles at least one land claim every month and plans to settle the remaining 6 000 claims in the next five years, as provided for in its Integrated Development Plan.

The Land Restitution Program is part of the City's Integrated Human Settlements Plan, through which it intends to achieve its most important aims:

"Social, Economic and Spatial Integration throughout its area,
"Poverty alleviation through facilitating easy access to areas of work and recreation,
"Equitable redress to victims of racial land dispossession in terms of the Restitution Act no. 22 of 1994 as amended and
" Equitable redistribution of land and land reform.

"The City, together with the Regional Land Claims Commission (RLCC), would like to appeal to residents who live near the areas where these restitution claimants will be settled to embrace these projects and be proud that restitution is happening in their areas.

"They should see restitution as a historical asset that will bring value to their properties. They should participate in assisting land restitution claimants to settle in those areas, instead of trying to block their resettlement.

"Neighbouring residents could assist by donating funds and materials, offering their skills, participating in the planning process and getting involved in making these flagship projects a success," says Molapo.

Details of the ceremony are as follows:
Date: 24 March 2007
Time: 10:00 - 14:00
Venue: Dan Pienaar Circle (erf 167954), Gabriel Road, Plumstead

Issued by:
Communication and Marketing
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 2201
Fax: 021 957 0023

Media Queries:
Pogiso Molapo
Manager: Land Restitution & Social Housing
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 2422
Cell: 084 3080495

Pulane Molefe
Communication Manager
Office of the Chief Land Claims Commissioner
Tel: 012 312 8452
Cell: 079 495 8387