The Chairperson of the District Six Working Committee in Cape Town, Shahied Ajam, says they remain concerned about the delay in granting restitution to claimants who were forcibly removed from the area under apartheid laws in 1966.
Ajam was talking during the 53rd commemoration of the forced removals at a ceremony held at the Castle of Good Hope. He says they also want a “New Dawn” for the claimants of District Six.
Ajam says there are only 134 families who are back in the area after the first and the second phase of development, while thousands were removed in the 60s.
“Another one thousand people who claim between 1995 and 1998, with valid claim numbers who have been promised 20 years ago, they are still waiting outside. They are the ones who should be moved back to District 6 starting from today. We’re so happy that the court granted us the victory in saying to government you have failed in your constitutional duty to restitute the people of District Six.”
Government representatives and land claimants have come together to mark the day and to pave the way forward for those still waiting for their claims.
The area was declared a Whites only area under the apartheid government’s Group Areas
Act on the 11th of February 1966, sparking the forced removals of over 60 000 people.
The commemoration is hosted by the District Six Working Committee, which represents about 3500 claimants.
The organisation recently won a court bid to compel government to produce a development plan for the area within 3 months.
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