Question NW1429 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
05 May 2023 - NW1429
Matiase, Mr NS to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(a) By what date is her department going to finalise the Lower Zingcuka land claim and make financial compensation to that community and (b) what concrete reasons have been provided to her for the delays in processing the land claim, taking into account the various replies she has provided to the National Assembly over the years, in which the department promised to settle the land claim but failed to?
Reply:
(a) The claim is targeted for settlement in the third quarter of the 2023/24 financial year. Upon the settlement of the claim, the Department will commence with the payment process and payment will be effected within 90 working days after signing of the distribution agreement with the individual households.
(b) The implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by the Department in 2022 had resulted in the discontinuation of financial compensation payment in phases. As a result, this necessitated the Department to also include Lower Nqgumeya and Upper Zingcuka villages in the verification.
The process of verifying and screening those villages took longer than projected, due to the confirmation of legitimate beneficiaries and the delays in submitting the necessary documents by the beneficiaries. The list of beneficiaries has been adopted.
END