Land claim row could split clan

Property owners affected by royal family dispute

A ROYAL clan war is brewing over a multibillion-rand land claim for Pretoria’s wealthiest areas, which is forcing property owners to notify authorities about the sale or development of their land.

Farms, shopping complexes, luxury housing estates, diplomatic properties and scientific and industrial areas are under the 25 000ha claim in the city’s eastern suburbs.

The claim by the Bakgatla ba Lekhuleni clan’s self-proclaimed chief, Victor Lekhuleni, comes as infighting threatens to split the family, and fears by home and business owners of mass evictions and property devaluation mount.

On Saturday, the Land Claims Commission ordered property owners to notify it before doing anything to their properties, including selling them. Failure to do so could see owners and developers ordered to halt developments or sales and forced to cover costs should they go ahead without permission.

Gauteng Regional Land Claims Commission chief director Cindy Benyane said they were not preventing people from selling or developing their land.

“Legally, owners whose properties are the subject of a claim have to notify the commission within one month if they intend to do something to it, regardless of whether they’re selling it, building a swimming pool, subdividing it or donating it.

“This is mainly for cases involving vacant land which people want to develop, which changes the property’s value. The commission views this more seriously than property sales or alterations.”