Question NW1726 to the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform
09 September 2016 - NW1726
Robertson, Mr K to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform
With regard to the beneficiary evaluation processes of land claimants, what (a) model or criteria is used and (b) processes are followed to determine the beneficiaries; (2) who were the service providers tasked with verifying the beneficiaries of both Mala Mala and Kruger National Park claims, valued at R84 million; (3) is the R4 million paid out to claimants a final amount or will more payments be made to the various communities?
Reply:
(a) The beneficiary is a person, an estate, a direct descendant or a community that was dispossessed of a right in land, after 19 June 1913, as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices, who had lodged a claim within the timeframes provided for in the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994, and who was not paid compensation that is just and equitable at the time of dispossession. Where a claim is for a community, the beneficiary is a member of that community that was dispossessed together with other community members or their direct descendants.
(b) Through household verification. This process entails a determination of the members of the claimant community, i.e. households that were dispossessed of a right in land as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices. The Commission conducts meetings with the claimant households and collect information of dispossession through verification forms, and drawing of family trees to depict direct descendants in terms of family genealogy. The verified households would then become beneficiaries of the claim.
2. No service providers were appointed to carry out the task of verifying the beneficiaries. This task was completed by the officials of the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights.
3. The monies paid out to claimants as financial compensation in full and final settlement is as follows:
(a) Financial compensation: R 84 097 826.00, which is currently being paid to beneficiaries; and
(b) Development of sustainable projects: R194 259 681.83, which will be paid once community approved business plans have been finalised.