The Eastern Cape has been allocated R1,3-billion from the national budget to settle all outstanding land claims in the next three years.

This was revealed during the provincial land summit held at Regent Hotel in East London this week.

The provincial land summit is a prelude to the national land summit to be held later this month.

Speaking at the summit, provincial Land Commissioner, L Faleni, said Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, in his budget speech earlier this year, indicated an amount of R6-billion had been allocated to provinces to complete the land restitution process in the next three years.

She said in terms of the land policy framework all outstanding restitution claims should be finalised by the end of March 2008.

"Over 15 000 claims have been settled in the Eastern Cape and we are left with just below 2 000 claims to finalise," said Faleni.

Commissioner Faleni said the majority of claims to be finalised shortly, that is, by the end of December 2005, were rural claims.

"Urban claims are to be finalised in the next three years," she said.

Settled claims in the urban areas included the east and west banks of East London and Kabahlanga, claims in the rural areas include areas of Mkhambathi, Dwesa-Cwebe and Guba, while family claims settled include those of Kattoo and Casojee.

Ms Faleni said the three-year period for lodging claims ended in December 1998.

"It took five years for the land claims commission and the land claims court to finalise all claims ending December 31 this year," she said.

Faleni also raised concerns about challenges facing land restitution, including "willing seller and willing buyer" scheme where, she said, land owners sold their land or farms at exhorbitant prices to the buyers regardless of market prices.

Meanwhile preparations are underway in the Northern Cape for the provincial two-day land summit starting next Wednesday.

More than 500 delegates representing the landless, farm workers, land reform beneficiaries, land activists, organized agriculture, provincial and national government, business, political parties, federations and trade unions, decision makers and academics are expected to attend the summit.

According to the provincial department of Agriculture, the Summit would assist in expanding decision making within the land reform.

"It would also assist in raising the profile of South Africa's land and agrarian reform as a yardstick of economic growth and poverty eradication, " the department said.

Resolutions to be taken at the provincial summit will be tabled at the National Land Summit. - BuaNews