Residents of Elandskloof near Citrusdal in the Western Cape have raised fears that they might lose their land again if no development takes place.
Delegates from Parliament’s Joint Constitutional Review Committee are hearing views on whether Section 25 of the Constitution should be amended to allow for land expropriation without compensation.
Elandskloof residents were forcibly removed from their land in 1962 and returned home in 1996. Many beneficiaries say there has been no development in the area since then.
Elandskloof is situated above the farming town of Citrusdal in the Cedarberg Mountains of the Western Cape. It is one of the first successful land restitution cases in post-apartheid South Africa.
Seventy-three-year old Aletta Ockhuis and her family were forcefully removed from their land during the 1960’s.
Ockhuis has returned home, but says development is slow. There are some who fear that the amendment to Section 25 of the Constitution could see them lose their ancestral land once again.
“The concern that I have or that we have in Elandskloof is that the department can take our land back because there is nothing happening since 1996 when we got our land back in Elandskloof. And our concern is that the department can take the land back because there is no development on the land and nobody came to help us with developing,” says resident, Azrial Scheepers.
Many people have expressed mixed reactions regarding the amendment of Section 25 to allow for land expropriation without compensation.
Representatives from communities, political organisations, farm workers and farmers attended the hearings at Citrusdal Thusong Centre.
Others say the land reform process has failed the people.
“Changing the constitution makes it open for political abuse and those with political connections will get farm land. Section 25 need not be changed the only thing that needs to change is this government. We don’t have access to housing and land I’m also for the amendment of Section 25.”
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