ALPOA angered by Land Claims Commission officials
ALEXANDRA - Alpoa is concerned with the actions of land claims commission officials.
Alexandra Land and Property Owners Association (Alpoa) is concerned by the actions of Land Claims Commission officials.
This was said recently by Alpoa secretary general Jacky Segopa who disclosed that its members were being coerced to sign forms which may cause them to lose out on their claims.
“The forms are to acknowledge receipt of a payment of R50 000, which some of them received a while back with the understanding that it was consolation for the evil deeds of dispossession – and not as payment for lost land. Their land and property rights claims are still valid, and the association will continue to lobby on their behalf, including new claims lodged after the recent promulgation of legislation extending the deadline to 2018,” he said.
Segopa added that he was not surprised by the actions of the officials, as some of them had openly declared that they did not recognise the association – even when they knew that it represented the claimants.
“The officials also don’t participate in meetings with the task team who is working to speed up the resolution of the claims,” he said.
“They want to sideline the association in order to confuse the claimants.We are concerned and may have to seek legal or other advice as their actions may also be contravening a court order interdicting any development on claimed land and properties until the matter has been finalised.”
The interdict has been issued against the mayor, Department of Land Affairs, Chief Land Claims commissioner and Regional Land Claims commissioner (Gauteng/North West). According to the association’s legal representative Michal Johnson the claims have been pending for a while and a new judge has been appointed to replace the previous, deceased one. She is hoping for the case to be prioritised as any further delays will cause more stress to the claimants.
Claimants who confirmed receiving or seeing the forms said they would not complete them for fear of compromising their claims. Zelda Mokae (75), Maria Makhubu (79), Thomas Sibeko (66) and William Volmink (57) said they stood by the association and urged the Commission officials to stop confusing them.
