The DBSA and The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (CRLR) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will see the two parties working together to provide support to land restitution projects and their beneficiaries.

There is a need for all parties involved to co-operate and adopt a consistent approach to support land reform in South Africa. To help facilitate this, DBSA and CRLR agreed to seek opportunities to create sustainability in settled projects and accelerate settlement of outstanding land claims.  The MOU will regulate and guide, through a Joint Working Committee Structure, how the two parties will work together.

The initial focus will be on developments in Ba-Phalaborwa (Limpopo Province) and the Northern Cape. Here DBSA will provide technical assistance, particularly in the area of human resource development training. Key people will be trained in how to identify, prepare, evaluate, finance, implement and manage development projects and programmes. The Bank will also provide support for the implementation of a business plan and identify a mentor to oversee beneficiaries to ensure sustainability.

The CRLR’s role in this newly created partnership will be to take lead responsibility in ensuring that the Regional Land Claims Commissions (RLCC) support the implementation of the identified projects. It will also encourage RLCC officials to assist in identifying restitution projects in provinces according to the identified and agreed criteria between the two parties.

Chief Land Claims Commissioner, Thozi Gwanya, says the Commission has made significant progress in delivering on its mandate to restore land to victims of racially motivated land dispossessions.  The majority of the land reform beneficiaries lack the necessary capacity to realise optimum economic gain from the land restored to them and partnerships with organisations such as the DBSA will go a long way to ensure there is sustainability for land reform projects.

The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights was established in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994.   The Land Restitution programme is aimed at providing redress for the victims of racially motivated land dispossessions that took place under the apartheid government.