The manner and speed in which land restitution claims were been processed remained a concern, the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL) told President Kgalema Motlanthe on Thursday.Speaking after a debate in Pretoria on Motlanthe's February state of the nation address, NHTL chair Fhumulani Kutama urged the president to address the way the process was handled.
"The manner in which the Land Claims Commission is running its affairs, we are very much worried about that. It is moving at a total snail [pace]."
The president must address this, Kutama said, even if it meant augmenting legislation.
"The president must... make sure the commission does its work because our communities out there are waiting for their land."
He said government appeared to be promoting the paying out of cash sums of money instead of handing back the land.
"We are saying that it is against the spirit of the Freedom Charter which says land shall be given to their owners."
 "We are urging the government to say the question of money is not important to us. What is important is the question of land."
While not addressing land affairs directly, Motlanthe conceded that the matters raised needed to be decisively addressed and co-operation improved.
"In truth much work still needs to be done to ensure that working together we overcome all the challenges we are faced with as well as decisively addressing all the difficulties besetting traditional leadership and the communities you serve," said Motlanthe.
Source : Sapa /dw/sg/gj
Date : 12 Mar 2009 14:45
