Sexwale, Zille meet over land

2009-08-07 14:23

Cape Town - Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale pledged on Friday to resolve a dispute with Western Cape Premier Helen Zille over 1 400 hectares of land she claims was illegally signed over to the national government on the eve of the April elections.

Sexwale said he would take legal advice on Tuesday over the status of the land, which includes the site of the fraught N2 Gateway Project, and place the matter before Cabinet on Wednesday.

"I'm required to apply my mind," he told a joint news conference with the premier and Democratic Alliance leader.

The minister said he has held several private meetings with Zille to discuss the land dispute and they were both eager to avoid "an intractable legal process" that will put the development on hold.

Work together

Zille insisted that the transfer of the land in April "did not follow proper process" and said she would like the "situation to be rectified".

Both Zille and Sexwale stopped short of saying the ministry would hand the land back to the province if lawyers considered the April transfer illegal.

Instead, they emphasised that they wanted to work together to ensure completion of the N2 Gateway project, for which R1.5bn has been earmarked for the next three years.

"Wherever the land is located it is still the property of the people of South Africa and service delivery must not be delayed," Sexwale said.

Zille praised Sexwale's readiness to hear her concerns about the legality of the land transfer as an example of how different spheres of government should co-operate.

- SAPA