Urgent Intervention Needed in BCM’s Westbank Land Restitution Crisis

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Buffalo City is shocked by the continued mismanagement and institutional failures that have plagued the Westbank Land Restitution Project in East London for more than two decades.

We have received detailed concerns from the Westbank Land Restitution Association after conducting an oversight inspection on 3 September 2025, highlighting serious breaches of responsibility by key stakeholders – most notably the Eastern Cape Land Claims Commission, the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), and the Land Reform and Rural Development Department.

Despite the signing of the Settlement Agreement over two decades ago, the following critical matters remain unresolved:

• The city has failed to provide 182 erven needed to meet the total of 2026 approved claimants. This land still needs to be identified, planned, and registered. This process that could take up to 10 more years.
• The failure to open a township register for Erf 66051 has blocked the transfer of all erven under General Plan 2872/2006.
• Of the 2026 erven, only 693 have been transferred. The remaining 1333 await transfer. This is a process that cannot proceed until the above register is opened and additional budgeting is secured.
• Only 920 claimants have been verified for housing subsidies. The remainder must still be processed once land transfers are complete.
• Some transferred erven have title deeds being allegedly unlawfully withheld.
• The Westbank erven still lack internal services such as water, sanitation, and roads a responsibility of the BCMM

The DA strongly condemns the continued disregard for justice and good governance in this matter. We stand firmly with the Westbank land claimants and will take the following steps:

• We will escalate this matter to Parliament, requesting that the Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development urgently investigates the breakdown in management of the Westbank Land Restitution Project.
• We demand the immediate reinstatement of the Project Steering Committee, and call for bi-lateral engagements between all signatories to the Settlement Agreement to get the project back on track.

The Westbank Land Claim has been unresolved for over 23 years. This is a betrayal of the promise of restitution and dignity for those who were forcibly removed from their land.

The DA will continue to press for answers and accountability. We are committed to ensuring that justice is not delayed any further and that the rightful land claimants of Westbank receive the dignity, restitution, and respect they have fought for so long to reclaim.

Regards

Leander Kruger MPL
DA Buffalo City Constituency Leader