Mallaca Road land claimants have been urged to join the Indian Land Claimants Association, so as to present a united front and to speed-up the process with the relevant departments.
The solidarity in land claims was urged by Minority Front (MF) leader, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, when she attended a meeting arranged by Robin Naidoo, the chairperson of the Indian Land Claimants Association, in Phoenix. The meeting was held at the Rainpal Community Centre and hosted by Pastor Chris Naidoo, on Saturday 14 May.
Thakur-Rajbansi called on people who may have applied individually to join this association in order to fast-track and resolve claims as time is of the essence.
She said: “These are land claims made well before 1998 and almost 200 displaced families are affected. This matter will be escalated through various channels to bring closure to the hardships faced by descendants of displaced persons, many of whom have now passed on.”
Naidoo said that his members requested this intervention and dialogue with the MF leader as Thakur-Rajbansi is a Member of Parliament, who can help fight their cause.
He said: “The members wanted their land claims, which have been unduly and unfairly delayed for over 28 years with the ANC government, to be escalated with the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development and the Land Claims Commission, who are both in Pietermaritzburg”.
Naidoo said since the eThekwini Municipality is demanding “current market value”, on land restitution, it is an unfair inflation of prices as they would pay less on monetary compensation, by deflating values and property prices.
“They need to apply historic prices and not profit out of Apartheid and the Group Areas Act, which is ongoing ANC tactics. Since the MF has a single PR councillor in the eThekwini Municipality, we expect them to address our current battles with Council, in their working coalition, with the ANC,” added Naidoo.
For more information or to join the Indian Land Claimants Association, contact Robin Naidoo on 071-300-8228 or 031-530-7626, alternatively you can send a WhatsApp to 066-215-5711.
