As part of the ongoing struggle in the District Six restitution saga, 26 November is the date set for the matter to be heard in the Western Cape High Court. This after the matter was moved from the Land Claims Court in Randburg. A Cape Argus report says the announcement was made during a mass meeting of claimants at the weekend.

Norton Rose Fulbright attorney Nicki van’t Riet said: ‘What we know is that the respondents are not opposing the relief sought by us regarding the formulation and implementation of a plan to provide restitution to claimants who lodged claims before 31 December 1998, and because of the state’s delay in reply to our papers we requested for the matter to be put under judicial management, which the court has allowed, so the matter is being managed by the court.’

Van’t Riet said the state was opposing an order that the committee was seeking, which was a declaration that it failed to provide restitution to the 1998 claimants and they were contesting that it was in violation of the rights of claimants, and it would be in breach of its obligations.

‘In essence they say that they agree that they need to provide a plan, but then they say no they are not obligated.’ In responding papers, the Department of Rural Development & Land Reform says the department was not aware that the District Six working committee represented claimants. ‘...it was always difficult to establish what the claimants actually wanted. Meetings were sometimes not attended by all claimants, as a result decisions taken were rejected at subsequent meetings, which were better attended,’ it said.

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