Simelane says govt speeding up transfer of state-owned properties signed during apartheid

Human settlements minister Thembi Simelane says her department is trying to speed up the transfer of state-owned properties to residents who signed 99-year leases during apartheid.

The houses are in R293 townships, which refer to residential areas in former Bantustans established under the previous dispensation.

The ongoing transformation of these areas involves converting the outdated deeds into full ownership.

Simelane told the Human Settlements Portfolio Committee on Wednesday that she has already met with Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso, as well as the former Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dion George.

"In our meeting with Minister Nyhontso in relation to the fast-tracking of the registration and the formalisation of those settlements, so that we can be able to transfer ownership of those 99-year leases, which are even pre-1994 dispensation. That will be townships like your Mdantsane, Seshego, Nkowankowa - anywhere where you know there were R293s established," said Simelane.