A total of 476 783 hectares of land being delivered through the government's restitution and redistribution programme shows the Department of Land Affairs is approaching its target of getting people back to their land by 2005.

Gilingwe Mayende, director-general in the department of land affairs, presented the department's overall progress for the year and prospective plans for 2004.

"We are continuing to maintain an upward trend in the pace of delivery," Mr Mayende said during a presentation in Pretoria yesterday.

"We are proud to announce that in the last eight months, there has been an unprecedented 197% increase in the number of hectares restored to claimants," he said.

The director-general explained the increase was due to a decision taken by the department to prioritise thousands of rural land claims.

The land restitution programme aimed to restore land rights lost as a result of apartheid's discriminatory laws.

Settled restitution claims totalled 42 556 by 30 September this year and that involves 102 454 households. Approximately 282 569 hectares of land was restored with a total cost of approximately R809-million.

The redistribution programme was aimed at providing the previously disadvantaged and the poor with access to land for residential and productive purposes.

An estimated 170 :000 hectares of land was delivered this year compared to 300 000 hectares last year, which was the highest redistribution figure achieved by the department.

The total amount of government owned land disposed and transferred this year is 43 973 hectares, with a total of 30 400 hectares being leased to tenants with the option to purchase at a later stage.

Since 1994, the department has delivered approximately 3-million hectares, including land through restitution, redistribution and state land. An estimated 700 000 households have benefited from the programme. - BuaNews - BuaNews