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South Africa: Public Hearings on Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill Completed in Provinces

July 20, 2018

The Committee expresses its appreciation that South Africans took the time to attend the hearings and actively participating in the discussions to re-open the land claims process

PRETORIA, South Africa, July 20, 2018,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform recently completed public hearings on the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill in all provinces.

Thousands of people attended the public hearings to voice their opinion on the bill and to give their input on how the bill can work for them. Many are in support of reopening land claims; many have requested the committee to ensure that land claims submitted previously are settled first.

Some also proposed that permanent judges be appointed to preside over land claims whilst many appealed to the committee to intervene and investigate allegations of fraud and corruption within the Department of Rural Department and Land Reform.

The Whip of the Rural Development and Land Reform Committee, and initiator of the Private Members Bill, Mr Pumzile Mnguni, said they “will not rest until our job is done. We have been instructed by the Constitutional Court to conduct widespread public hearings into the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill and we have done just that, going to all nine provinces in the country and giving people an opportunity to speak and write to the committee. Currently all inputs are being captured and categorised”.

When Parliament resumes after the recess, the committee will meet to further deliberate on the inputs received and will meet with all relevant stakeholders such as academia, non- governmental organisations and other interested parties to further enhance this process.

The Committee expresses its appreciation that South Africans took the time to attend the hearings and actively participating in the discussions to re-open the land claims process.  This is the democracy we talk about when ordinary people have a say in how their country should be governed.

The management of the Rural Development and Land Reform committee has met with Parliament’s legal counsel to charter a way forward to approach the Constitutional Court for an indulgence to extend the deadline.

The Committee once again gives its assurance that all concerns raised by South Africans at the public hearings on the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill will be addressed.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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