Phongola — Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana has urged land owners not to delay the land restitution process, saying her ministry only has until 2008 to settle 10 percent of the remaining land claims.

And she says, she's running against time.

"President Thabo Mbeki has given the commission a clear directive to resolve all the outstanding land claims by 2008 ...our people cannot wait for 1001 years from 1913, the year the law that dispossessed them was enacted.

"I will not allow 'taai-heads' [the hard headed] to frustrate the fast-tracking of the remaining unresolved claims," said Ms Xingwana.

Handing over on Saturday a prime piece of land to the Gumbi community in Phongola, which also boasts a game reserve, Ms Xingwana indicated that it was becoming difficult to finalise rural land claims.

She said out of 79 000 land claims lodged since 1998 more than 71 000 had been completed and only 10 per cent remained unresolved.

In KwaZulu-Natal out of more than 14 000 claims originally lodged, only 1 700 were still outstanding.

These are mainly rural claims which are said to be difficult to resolve because the history of forced removals was not properly documented.

Ms Xingwana also reiterated government's commitment to redistribute all 30 percent of agricultural land to the previously dispossessed.

The 3 000 hectares game reserve given to the Gumbi community is already generating much revenue for the beneficiaries through a thriving lodge establishment and professional game hunting.

The land was given back to 657 households who were forcibly dispossessed of their land rights in Phongola under apartheid.