‘A complete miscarriage of justice’ was the response from District Six land claimants following the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s submission that it would take two more decades for them to return to the place they call home.

A Cape Argus report notes in papers before court, the department said it could only repatriate the land by 2039.

District Six Working Committee chairperson Shahied Ajam yesterday said: ‘We are at war with the department because – apart from the frustration with how long it will take – the real question is why are they stretching this District Six matter? It has become clear now that they have never had any interest in District Six. This is a complete miscarriage of justice.’

The committee has accused the department of being in breach of a court order.

The committee’s lawyers planned on calling for an urgent court hearing on the matter, he said. According to the committee, there were 3 000 claimants fighting to return to District Six.

‘All the claimants would have died by then. That’s not right, they are playing with us and they are playing with our livelihoods.’

The report says the department’s papers were in response to a Western Cape High Court order in November last year.

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