Luyolo Village gets Restitution

It was a happy day for the Luyolo Village community in the Western Cape when a handover ceremony took place for a claim that was lodged in 1997. The original population came to Simon’s Town in 1893 to complete the railway line between Cape Town and Simon’s Town. The dispossession of the community took place in July 1965.

The Luyolo Committee was mandated to facilitate the process of lodgement and settlement of the claim on the 26th of April 1997. The Community then lodged their claim before the cut-off date of 31 December 1998 and the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights started processing the claim.

The original population was composed of African labourers who came to Simon’s Town in 1893 to complete the railway line between Cape Town and Simon’s Town. They lived behind the Royal Navy’s North Battery and the area later became known as Luyolo location. The dispossession of the community took place in July 1965 in terms of the Natives (Urban Areas) Consolidation Act (25 of 1945) as amended in 1952 and 1955.

The community was informed by a letter from the Simon’s Town municipality that accommodation would be available in Guguletu for 30 families and that the single male residence of Luyolo would also be moved to bachelor quarters in Langa and Guguletu.The various restitution options were introduced to the claimants and the 254 individual tenancy claimants accepted the Standard Settlement Offer of R54 650, 00 per claimant family as the full and final settlement of their claims.

Source: www.ruraldevelopment.gov.za

Restitution

Purpose

The purpose of the restitution programme is to provide equitable redress to victims of racially motivated land dispossession, in line with the provisions of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No. 22 of 1994).

Objective

To resolve restitution claims within the target period through negotiated settlements that restore land rights or award alternative forms of equitable redress to claimants.

Intended Impact

  • Facilitate access to land by victims of racially motivated land dispossessions that took place under the previous government.
  • Poverty alleviation through sustainable development on restored land as well as improved livelihoods.
  • Foster the rights of vulnerable groups in terms of ownership and participation in economic activities.
  • Foster national reconciliation and stability.
  • The Rights of Land Owners and Claimants

If you were disposed of a land right after 19 June 1913 in terms of racially discriminatory laws and practices, you are entitled to restitution of that right or equitable redress. All claims are against the state, no one may be deprived of property except in terms of law of general application. All interested parties are invited to engage in the process of negotiating the settlement of a claim. The restitution process is implemented in line with the provisions of Section 25 of the Constitution of South Africa which places an emphasis on equitable redress.

The Commission is committed to facilitate negotiations amongst all interested parties in order to settle the claims administratively.

For more information go to www.ruraldevelopment.gov.za

For further information on programmes by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform contact them at 0800 0070 95