Claimants plan 4-star conference centre for Franschhoek
2009-03-26
Sieb Sieberhagen
THE land which has been returned to land claimants in Franschhoek South by the Land Claims Commission, is to be developed into a four-star conference centre in Reservoir Street, with accommodation suites, a restaurant and a cultural museum. On Saturday the trustees received the title deeds of this piece of land in Reservoir Street from Blessing Mphela, chief land claims commissioner. The development will be located on two hectares of what was originally part of the commonge, next to the municipal tennis courts. The 254 claimants are members of 42 families that were removed from their properties in Franschhoek due to Apartheid laws. According to Benji Fray, the Franschhoek Land Claimants lodged their land claim 13 years ago. “We wish to redress the past and uplift our people through developing land and to create a high quality, commercially viable and a sustainable legacy for the Franschhoek land claimants. “The Franschhoek Land Claimant Village honours our past, our roots and our suffering and stands as a beacon of hope for the future. “Our mission is to create a sustainable business which will enable the dispossessed claimants and their dependents to benefit profitability on a longterm basis. “We want to up-lift and benefit the disadvantaged communities of Franschhoek,” she said. The hub of the Franschhoek Claimants’ Village will be a state of the art conference centre that can accommodate up to 150 people. It will have the elevation and some features of a church. The village will also include 24 accommodation suites (48 guests), catering facilities and a cultural historical museum that will include a live craft centre/shop, tea room and memory gardens. Three-quarters of the standard settlement offer in compensation given by the State (R1,83 million), was paid to the claimants by the Western Cape Regional Land Claims Commission in 2002/03. The balance of R316 560 in discretionary restitution grants and settlement planning grants to which the claimants are entitled, will be paid soon.The financial resources in the trust account will be utilised for the development of the two hectares of land.
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