Constantia land claim settled
A FAMILY, forced from their farm under the apartheid Group Areas Act, have become the first Constantia land claimants to get their title deeds.
The Solomon family are among several families to whom land is being restored in the suburb.
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform recently handed over title deeds to the Solomons at a formal gathering.
Representatives of the family pointed out the land – a large portion of which was on the corner of Spaanschemat River and Ladies Mile roads – to the Cape Times yesterday.
There was another portion, they said, on the other side of the M3 highway.
Rashaad Solomon said the land size was about 25 000m² in total, offered 360° views and was in a prime location.
This had been the farm Sillery on which their family had farmed fruit and vegetables, as well as lived, before they had to sell in 1966, he said.
While they could not be certain of the present value of the land, Solomon said that to his knowledge, a hectare of vacant land in Constantia could sell for about R3 million to R5m.
“Ours is worth 10 times that,” he said.
Solomon said Hadjie Abdullah Solomon had bought a portion of the property for £360 at an auction on the Grand Parade on May 29, 1902, while his cousin had bought another section for £600. The Solomon family had settled on the land in 1902.
After the Group Areas Act came into effect, the family were forced to sell when Constantia and a number of other areas became reserved for white people.
The property had been sold on public auction for R17 500, however Solomon said the value at the time had been R78 000. He recalled that he had been born in Constantia and had spent 21 years living on the farm.
When they’d left, there were 32 houses on the property.
The family had then split up, moving to various areas such as Grassy Park and Wynberg.
Their land claim was lodged in 1996.
Solomon said their struggle for restitution had involved a long, drawn-out court process to expedite their land claim, costing the family about R400 000 in legal fees.
“The saddest part is that many of our family members and cousins have passed on. It was their hopes and dreams to come settle here but they will never get to. As they say, justice delayed is justice denied.”
The representatives said the family’s claim involved two family trusts, the Hadjie Abdullah Solomon Family Trust and the Hadjie Ismail Solomon Family Trust.
Rashaad and Mogamat Noor Solomon represented the Hadjie Abdullah Solomon Family Trust. Shareef Solomon
representing the Hadjie Ismail Solomon Family Trust, said that getting their land back had been very emotional.
They were thankful and humbled that the Land Restitution Act had been crafted and that it could result in this. Now that they had their title deeds, however, they wanted to add value to Constantia in a different way and appealed to the necessary departments and authorities to assist them with guidance and financial assistance in moving ahead with their plans.
It was the families’ wishes to develop the land to sustain all the beneficiaries. They were looking at a mixed-use development that included commercial and residential use. Department of Rural Development and Land Reform regional spokesman Vuyani Nkasayi confirmed that they were the first Constantia land claimants – apart from those who had opted for financial compensation – to get their title deeds.
The department planned to hand over more title deeds to Claremont land claimants at the weekend.