Groenfontein–Ramohlakane community restitution claim

Abstract

This diagnostic study examines the efforts of the Groenfontein-Ramohlakane Trust to develop and use the land in (Mpumalanga) that has been restored to the community in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994 (‘Restitution Act’). It examines the nature and content of the post-settlement support received and draws lessons from the community’s experience that might inform the development of a strategy for post-settlement support provision involving land reform institutions and associated agencies. At the outset, the report describes the location and physical features of the restored land, the history of ownership and dispossession and the changes in land use that took place in the post-dispossession period. The process of the claim lodgement, verification of membership, negotiations and settlement are then traced. A detailed assessment of the Settlement Agreement and its implementation is made and the establishment and functioning of the legal entity is considered. The developments and support during the post-settlement phase are examined.