Land claims in the Southern Cape and Klein Karoo have been put on hold until next year as there is no money left in this year’s budget to compensate people forced off their land by the apartheid government.

Land Reform spokesman Elton Greeve yesterday confirmed money for this year had been exhausted. “We are looking at reprioritising the budget for restitution.”

Southern Cape and Karoo Land Restitution Forum chairman Gert Hufkie, who represents the various land claimants in the area, said about 5000 claimants were awaiting cash settlements, while others wanted to be compensated in development and yet others wanted land.

He could not put a monetary value on the outstanding claims.

He said Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti, who attended a forum meeting last week, would return to the area to visit some of the claimants.

Hufkie said some claimants had been waiting for 10 years or more to be compensated after losing their land in the implementation of the Group Areas Act.

“Some claimants understand the hold-up but we still need to speak to others and explain to them what is going on. Only after we meet the minister can we plan our way forward.”

He said the department’s budget for 2009/10 land claims had been used up within three months. “The main problem is that land prices are so high.”

Southern Cape Land Committee chairman Angela Conway said Nkwinti would re-evaluate the situation in mid-November, but if there were still no funds, the claims would stand over until the 2010/11 budget in March.

Claimants come from Kraaibos, Die Vleie and Rheendal near Knysna, Great Brak River, Covie near Plettenberg Bay, Leeu-Gamka near Beaufort West and Dysselsdorp near Oudtshoorn, Lawaaikamp near George, Uniondale and Prince Albert.

Although the Covie claimants received their land earlier this year, they still need funding for development.

Claimants in Dysselsdorp are seeking rural development and Nkwinti has promised to prioritise a strategy for them.

“People are so frustrated and sick of waiting. It’s taken such a long time that some of the original claimants have died but everyone really appreciated the minister coming to see them and the fact that he was really honest about the situation,” Conway said.

Christiaan Tamboer, one of the Kraaibos claimants, said it was a “big disappointment” their claims would not be settled this year.

“We’ve been waiting 13 years for our settlement. We were loaded in trucks and driven to Keurhoek, 25km away, when the government told us our land had been declared a white area. Some people have died already, waiting to get their money or land back.”

Nkwinti earlier said the government was concerned there was collusion in the land market which had to be rooted out as it compromised the programme’s integrity.

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