“I would really like to come back to where I was born.” For the past 25 years this has been Juleiga Cooper’s only wish. Cooper (80) is one of hundreds of District Six claimants waiting to return to their beloved community.
But it seems there might be light at the end of a long emotional tunnel for the claimants.
On Tuesday 22 March Deputy President David Mabuza, in his capacity as chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Land Reform and Agriculture, visited the District Six Development Project to assess progress made thus far in the restitution process.
Also in attendance were Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development; Patricia de Lille, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure as well as Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, Minister of Human Settlements.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and his deputy Eddie Andrews were also present.
This forms part of phase three of the District Six Development Project where 108 units were built. The project has been marred by continuous delays.
An emotional Cooper says: “I have been waiting for 25 years to come home, why must we wait so long to come to the place where we were born? I was ill for three months. But I got out of my bed to be here at this meeting.”
Cooper says she is grateful to God who have spared her while so many claimants died without being granted their wish.
“Six of my friends died already, so I thank God who granted me the time so I can move into my own house. My mom was sitting outside when they demolished the place where I was staying. A week later, she died. We had to move to wherever they moved us. Having God in my life is the only thing that brought me through.”
Another claimant Mariam Dirk (77) says: “I am happy to come back. I am just worried about those stairs because they gave me a house on the top floor. I’ve have an angina heart and struggle to walk properly. My grandmother and great grandmother were all born in District Six, so I’m so glad to return.”
Dirk says she still has vivid memories of the day they were forced to leave the area.
“It was very heartsore for us, I didn’t want to go, because we were moved to different places. We were almost of the last people that moved. Then they gave us a place in Lentegeur.”
Meanwhile a group of claimants were gathering in Hanover Street claiming they were not allowed access to the meeting.
Shireen Jane says: “We just want to know when the lies are going to stop because we have been walking to different buildings in Long Street and Church Street for many years now. My mom was one of the 108 claimants, unfortunately she passed away; we as her children were told we can’t claim because we are too young. We are all over 60 years old. There are other people benefitting and getting their parents’ homes.”
Faeza Bassier says: “The claimants are dying, and they speak about restorative justice. Where is the justice and where is the humanity? When do we get justice, when are we returning? How many of us must still die? When we return, we want to return with business rights, because we had businesses in the area before.”
Mabuza says while District Six can never be returned to its origin and historical set-up, the dignity of the people will be restored.
“Not everything will be resolved all at once. No matter how small the steps of progress we make, the dignity of the people of District Six and restoration of their land rights will be achieved.”
According to Mabuza,0 the remaining 954 will be carried out in two parts and is expected to be completed in December 2025.
Andrews says it’s important that claimants partake in the public realm study.
“It is a lot more than homes that need to be reclaimed. There were businesses and lots of public open spaces that we had not had sight of when this process began. As the City it’s our intention to engage with the claimants and to ask them what was there then and what should there be now and that’s why your input in so important.”
Responding to claimants’ concerns about climbing flights of stairs Didiza says: “We have a split type of arrangement of access which allows for wheelchairs which also allows for people to enter at another level below. In District Six itself you will not be able to get a unit exactly as you would like it. Also in terms of the site and the number of hectares that we have and what we have to construct.”
