Issued by: Ministry of Land Affairs
PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF LAND AFFAIRS
MEETING OF NORTHERN CAPE COMMUNITIES WITH MINISTERS JOE MODISE, MINISTER OF DEFENCE, AND MINISTER DEREK HANEKOM, MINISTER OF LAND AFFAIRS, 24 NOVEMBER 1995
The Minister of Defence and Land affairs, Joe Modise and Derek Hanekom, met with various land claiming communities today in Kimberley. These included the Maremane, Gatihose and Khosis Communities, who all have claims to land in the Lohathla Battle School area.
The meeting was chaired by the MEC for Local Government and Housing, Pakes Dikgetsi and was attended by the Regional Land Claims Commissioner, Advocate Wallace Mgoqi.
The Communities have been part of a Technical Committee, which has been meeting for about a year in an attempt to find and effective and acceptable solution. The Technical Committee has prepared proposals which accommodate both the needs of the SANDF as well as the restoration of the Communities' ancestral land.
The Technical Committee fully accepted the permanence of the Battle School. It was ackowledged, however, that the proposals would be costly to the State as they involved redirecting ESCOM power lines and clearing the land of unexploded devices. It was put to the meeting that this money could be better spent in purchasing more suitable alternative land, and in providing development assistance. This would be and additional option for both the Communities and the State to consider.
At this stage the Communities are understandably impatient and eager to find a speedy solution. Since their forced removal in 1977 their living conditions have been appalling. The Government, too, is anxious to assist and bring this matter to conclusion.
It was agreed at the meeting that Advocate Mgoqi should take over the process, and that he would facilitate a two day meeting to be held on 28 and 29 November 1995. All parties agreed that the objective was to negotiate the best possible settlement to bring justice to the victims of the forced removal, while retaining the infrastructure and sufficient land to continued running the Battle School.
Contact: Keith Francis Tel (012) 3235217