The National Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Department says phase three of the redevelopment of District Six in Cape Town is 99% complete.
The department is building 108 housing units, which will be handed over to claimants once completed.
Departmental Spokesperson, Vuyani Nkasayi, says they would have finished phase three by now, were it not for unavoidable delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
R1.4 billion allocated for redevelopment of District Six
The Department says it allocated around R1.4 billion over the next three years for the redevelopment of District Six in Cape Town.
Rural Development and Land Reform Minister, Thoko Didiza, submitted a Conceptual Development Framework plan for the area in the Land Claims Court in December last year.
A ceremony was held in February 2020 at the Castle of Good Hope to mark the 54th anniversary of the District Six evictions by the apartheid regime.
The Department’s Director-General, Mdu Shabane, said the plan will also create jobs.
He says: “That plan was so detailed, it was consulted amongst all the stakeholders, including the claimants and they were very happy with it. In terms of that plan, we are projecting to spend about R1.4 billion over the next three years for the redevelopment of District Six.”
Various government departments are working together to facilitate the District Six land restitution process.
Public Works Minister, Patricia de Lille, says: “The City, the province and national has come together. We are planning together, we putting budgets together and so at last we can see some light at the end of the tunnel for the people of District Six to come back. We’ve already changed the name now from Zonnebloem back to District Six, but what is important is that we need to bring the people of District Six back.”
The District Six Working Committee says it is happy with the Conceptual Development Framework plan for the area.
Over 60 000 District Six residents were forcibly removed from the area in 1966. Committee Chairperson, Shahied Ajam, says he hopes the claimants will return to the area soon.
