[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE VALIDATION CAMPAIGN AND THE ASSOCIATED FUNDING

In my capacity as Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs, it gives me a great pleasure to announce that the Validation Campaign, aimed at validating all outstanding restitution claims, estimated around thirty eight thousand claims, commenced from 1 July 2001.

The process started with Government funding to the tune of R5 million and received a further boost of R10 million from a country, which is not a stranger to the Restitution process, the Belgian Government.

In 1998, the Belgians funded the Restitution Awareness Campaign, which was aimed at publicising the lodgement of restitution claims before the cut-off date of 31 December 1998.

I am reliably informed that the Belgian Government intends assisting the Restitution Programme further in the coming years. On behalf of the Government of South Africa, I would like to thank the Belgians through the Office of their Ambassador.

Let me also take the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of the National Development Agency (the NDA) for allocating funds for the running of a National Call Centre, to assist claimants to make enquiries about the status of their claims during the course of the validation campaign and beyond. This will assist in making the restitution process to be user/claimant friendly.

From now on there will be a flurry of communication activities through all forms of the media, radio, television, newspapers, pamphlets, workshops, and meetings, targeting the claimants, in particular, and other interested parties, communicating the message that everything is being done to advance the restitution process, as part of our duty to -

Honour the Promise of our Constitution,
Balancing the Land Rights of all South Africans,
Under the Rule of Law,
The Orderly Way,
The Peaceful Way,
The Patriotic Way,
The Sustainable Way,
The South African Way.

I wish the Commission well in speeding up the Restitution Process, so that we can as this ANC-led Government, realise our promise of a better life for all our people, within the framework of the Rule of Law.

I thank you

Issued by the Ministry for Agriculture and Land Affairs, 18 August 2001