District Six Claimants Fear They May Die Before Government Fulfils Redevelopment Promises

While successful District Six claimants wait for the government to secure the necessary funding to complete the long-awaited redevelopment, hundreds of others fear they may not live long enough to see justice served.

More than 700 additional claimants who submitted applications between 2014 and 2016 are still waiting for their rights to be restored, joining the original 2,760 people who filed claims before the 1998 deadline. Many of these earlier claimants have either received financial compensation, been resettled, or promised new homes in the area.

However, because the state has failed to resolve the country’s outstanding land claims—estimated at around 80,000 as of July 2024—the Constitutional Court has barred the government from processing any new claims until the backlog is cleared.

Decades of Delays Leave Families Waiting for Restitution

Among those still waiting is 78-year-old Rosaline Isaacs, a “new order” claimant who fondly remembers her childhood in District Six before apartheid-era demolitions changed everything. Her family was forcibly relocated to Mitchells Plain in 1980, one of the last to be removed.

“We were very central. We had swimming baths. On Sundays, they used to have a cinema. My brother was in the scouts. We had a lot of opportunities and we were free. We could walk wherever we wanted,” Isaacs recalled.

“When we came here [to Mitchells Plain], it was just sand,” she added.

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She last heard about her claim three years ago when the Land Claims Commission sent a letter thanking her for her patience. But with no updates since, Isaacs fears she won’t live to see the redevelopment completed.

Following democracy in 1994, 42 hectares of land were earmarked for District Six restitution. Of the 2,760 claims lodged by the 1998 deadline, 1,485 claimants chose financial compensation, while 1,165 opted to return. To date, only 247 homes have been built—24 in 2008, 115 in 2013, and 108 in 2022—leaving 918 families still waiting.

According to a parliamentary report, the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development aims to complete the remaining homes by November 2028. Yet, progress has been painfully slow.

Funding Challenges Stall District Six Redevelopment

In 2018, a court ordered the state to devise a plan to accommodate the remaining 954 restitution beneficiaries. This led to the creation of a “master plan” that includes 954 new homes, public amenities, roads, and green spaces. But without the necessary funding, progress remains at a standstill.

The government needs at least R2.2 billion to finish the project. Earlier this month, Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso told Parliament that R684 million had been allocated through a grant from the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights.

“To date, no other entity has made any fiscal contribution towards the redevelopment,” he said.

“I wish to reaffirm that completing restitution in District Six is both a legal obligation and a moral commitment.”

He added that the government hopes to secure additional funding through partnerships with the City of Cape Town, the Department of Human Settlements, and National Treasury.

However, for “new order” claimants like Isaacs, hope is fading fast. “I don’t know if I’m still going to be alive by that time, but hopefully the next generation will benefit,” she said, noting that her three siblings have already passed away.

Petition Calls for Restorative Justice

In May, more than 400 people signed a petition urging the government to deliver restorative justice for District Six claimants, condemning the slow pace of redevelopment despite numerous court rulings.

Nazeem Sydow, co-director of the District Six Working Committee—a non-profit representing many “new order” claimants—said his family was forced out in 1967, a year after the apartheid regime enforced the Group Areas Act.

“We know it’s taken 30 years. We know the government doesn’t have the money. I want to see them starting the process of looking after all the new order claimants,” said Sydow.

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