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South Africa to return land to exiled tribe

The exiled tribe, named the Nama, origionally lodged their claim to the 330-sq-mile Richtersveld coastal plain in 1997, saying that the goat herding community had been forced out after mineral rights were awarded to Alexkor Ltd., a state-run diamond mining company set up in 1927 in the town of Alexander Bay as a work program for poor whites. They were forced to move to harsh desert land. Initially, the Nama lost their case after Alexkor successfully argued that the land was origionally confiscated by British colonialists, not the apartheid government, and so was not subject to restitution rul implimented by the African National Congress government. Another part of the arguement was taht both the state and Alexkor also maintained all of the benefits of diamond mining, and it is for the good of the country and not just a small community. But finally in 2003 the Constitutional Court ruled that the Nama community was entitled to the Richtersveld coastal plain. Over the past few years a lot of legal wrangling has continued over the amount of compensation that should be paid for the loss of the community's loss of its natural resources to the company of Alexkor. The community is seeking up to 329 million in compensation for their losses. The settlement of this case will include the return of the land including mineral rights. Most likely an agreement will be set up in which both the community and Alexkor will jointly share the mineral rights. Even though the Nama has been going through great lengths, they have said that they are not interested in returning to the land but that they want to profit from it. At first, I thought that statement was a tad selfish sounding, but then after thinking about it, I wouldn't want to go back to the land either; especially since it has been dug up and mined through.. mainly destroying what natural land the community had there. Also if I were the community, I wouldnt want ot move my people of 4,500 back to a land they havent seen for years from a land they have cultivated and are thriving off of. Also they could use the profits to improve the way the are currently living.
What do you guys think of this? ...Do you think that it is right for the Nama people to be asking for their land back just for the profits? Or are they right in their demands for compensation for the land and natural reasorces (that could have greatly improved their way of life) that were taken so unjustly from them?

South Africa to return land to exiled tribe

posted by Anonymous @ 10/28/2006 11:46:00 PM