A
landmark verdict - 24 February
A land claim has been refused in a watershed verdict because the
community who laid claim to the land is unable to maintain the
current food production. On Friday the land claims court in
Johannesburg refused the Bahiring community's claim to the farms
of eight landowners outside Koster in North West. It was found
that relocating the community is not feasible, because, among
other reasons, the land has high agricultural potential and the
farms are intensively cultivated. Furthermore, E I Moosa, acting
on behalf of the Land Affairs Department, said in his closing
argument, it is not within the government’s financial means to
successfully relocate the community - Witness
website
SA
court dismisses villagers' land claim - 26 February
A South African court has dismissed a black community’s land
claim because the community would not be able to meet
production levels current white farmers occupying the farmland
have achieved. The current annual production on these farms is
1 800 calves, 5 900 tons of maize, 400 tons of beans, 470 tons
of sunflower seed and 1 080 000 litres of milk. The court also
ruled that relocating the community is not feasible because
the government did not have funds. It would have cost the
state more than R70 million to buy the farms from the
landowners and a further R210 million to relocate the Bahiring
community's 400 families and provide resources for them to
continue cultivating the land. - The
Zimbabwean website
North
West land ruling slammed - 24 February
The Azanian People's Organisation has slammed a ruling by the
Land Claims Court against claims made by the Bahiring
community near Koster in the North West, saying it sets a
"bad precedent". Spokesperson David Lebethe said it
was unfair to dismiss a claim on the basis that the land in
dispute had already been developed and that the community
would not be able to use it productively. - News24
website