By Sunday Elijah
While District Six can never be returned to its original and perhaps historical setup, the dignity of the people of the community will be restored, says Deputy President David Mabuza.
The Deputy President, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Land Reform and Agriculture, conducted an oversight visit to the District Six Development Project in Cape Town on Tuesday.
He said government across all spheres has joined hands to ensure that the historical injustice of District Six is corrected.
“We are pleased that in the course of the process of restitution and redevelopment of District Six, government has engaged with different stakeholders, in particular those representing the displaced and beneficiary District Six community.
“We are, therefore, satisfied that our consultation and engagement processes have been all-inclusive. Consultation and dialogue is an important process in nation building. Not everything will be resolved all at once. No matter how small the steps of progress we make, the dignity of the people of District Six and restoration of their land rights will be achieved.”
The District Six Development Project is a government initiative to return the people of District Six to their ancestral land, which was forcibly taken from them.
The Deputy President, along with members of the IMC, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the City of Cape Town, conducted a walkabout aimed at assessing progress on the District Six Development Project and engage with claimants and beneficiaries.
He was flanked by Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza; Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi and Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille.
Earlier, the District Six claimants signed the settlement agreements with government to occupy houses in District Six.
“We are pleased that today, under the auspices of our Western Cape Presidential Land Reform Programme, 139 dwellings have been allocated to beneficiaries of this Land Restitution Programme, and the remaining 108 dwellings will be handed over once all processes have been completed.”
The 108 dwellings consist of apartment blocks and row houses, which allow for easy future expansion.
The construction of the remaining 954 units will be carried out in two major builds to be completed in December 2025. This will accommodate all remaining claimants.
“We are looking forward to removing the last remaining bottlenecks, together with the claimants’ representatives, as well as the Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town, towards a complete return of this historical piece of land to its rightful owners.”
The Deputy President said the preservation and the restoration of land rights to the people of District Six is testament to the strides South Africa continues to make in redressing past injustices and in ensuring that spatial justice is also achieved.
“This remains an important area of work for the democratic government to ensure restoration of land rights to affected community and the people,” he said.
Redress
Speaking about the progress of development in the district, Mabuza said District Six is a painful reminder of the past. However, it is also a symbol of the resilience of the people from this district.
“The ageing population of District Six is a symbol that this development project needs to move faster and there needs to be a further allocation of funds toward these houses.
“We are pleased that in the course of the process of restitution and redevelopment of District Six, government has engaged with different stakeholders, in particular, those representing the displaced and beneficiary District Six community.
“There is work that has been done… but there is still much more to do,” the Deputy President said.
Mabuza said the overall mandate of the IMC on Land Reform is to coordinate and implement measures to accelerate the distribution of land, including working with all affected partners and communities in resolving all their claims.
“It is not an easy exercise. This is… why we are here to interact with you and hear first-hand the challenges from the beneficiaries themselves. From what I’ve gathered today, I can see that a lot of issues have been resolved. To those families who were forcibly removed from this area, one day your dignity will be restored,” he said.
The Deputy President asked all government representatives to recommit themselves to move faster on the project.
SAnews.gov.za
