Department’s Plan for Labour Tenants’ Land Claims finally received
On the 4 August, the LRC received the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s reporting affidavit and the action plan made in response to the court order handed down on the 9 June 2015 in the Land Claims Court in Johannesburg. The LRC welcomes these important documents but expresses concern over certain outstanding issues.
The court order compelled the Department to file further reports, each containing an action plan, on the progress being made with the implementation of Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act.
This comes after the LRC, on behalf of Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA), took the Department to court after failing to process thousands of land claims made by labour tenants under the Act. A settlement was reached in which the Department agreed to furnish the courts with status quo reports and plans on how it would process these land claims.
The Department’s reporting affidavit and the action plan, dated 30 July 2015, is welcomed as an important step in the process of finally addressing the concerns of labour tenants. The labour tenants, AFRA and the Legal Resources Centre appreciate the Department’s candour in the report and its commitment to assist labour tenants.
However, there are areas of concern that must be commented on.
Follow the link below to read the full lrc press release: