SA’s Biggest Land Claim Settled

In what can be described as a major boost to efforts to speed up land reform, one of South Africa’s biggest land claims involving 54 280 hectares has been recently settled in the North West Province.

In late 2016, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights successfully settled the claim and restored the vast tracts which include a game farm to five Bahurutshe communities who were disposed of their land in the late 1930s.

After successful negotiations, based on a justifiable and equitable process, the Commission paid close to R500 million (R465, 326,484. 20) on behalf of the Bahurutshe, benefitting a total of 1878 households.

“Through the restitution process the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) awarded title deeds to the Bahurutshe tribes who were forcibly removed from their land following the passing of the Development Trust Act by the previous government,” said Minister Nkwinti during the handover ceremony in Zeerust.

“Restoring land to the rightful owners was among the governments’ key interventions aimed at correcting injustices of the past and restoring our people’s dignity.”

Like many African communities in South Africa the Bahurutshe lost their rights in land and were reduced to farm workers and labour tenants on their properties which were allocated to white farmers. The Bahurutshe Kingdom stretched as far as Rustenburg and Pilanesburg. These communities lived between the Ngotoane, Madikwe and Crocodile rivers in what is now known as the North West Province.

The Bahurutshe land claim was lodged during the first re-opening of the land claims process which ended in 1998. The settling of this claim is part of on-going efforts by the commission to finalise all outstanding claims lodged during the initial re-opening.