BRANSON RESERVE IN SA LAND CLAIM !
The area is one of South Africa's main tourist areas. A community in South Africa is making a land restitution claim involving a luxury game lodge owned by British tycoon Sir Richard Branson.
The claim invokes laws designed to compensate black South Africans who lost land under apartheid.
The Ulusaba reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park, is in one of the country's top game viewing regions.
The Nxumalo community's lawyer said he expects to reach a negotiated deal with the company Virgin Limited Edition.
The Ulusaba site, owned by Sir Richard's company, is part of the larger Sabie Sands reserve, all of which is being claimed by the Nxumalo community.
Lawyer Jurgens Bekker told the BBC News website that the claim involved 70,000 hectares of "prime nature reserve" land.
Mr Bekker said a joint venture between the claimants and the current owners was possible.
"I have no contact with Richard Branson or his representatives, but I have heard through the grapevine they are amenable to talk, which I think is the right approach," Mr Bekker said.
Virgin Limited Edition's managing director Jon Brown was quoted in the Independent newspaper as saying: "Sir Richard is aware of the claim and fully supports a co-operative approach".
South African land restitution laws allow for various kinds of settlement to be made, including compensation with cash or alternative land, or joint business ventures with existing owners.
Time
Mr Bekker said he had registered the Nxumalo Conservation Trust "to conserve property for their children's children - these trusts will ultimately own the land".
He added that a similar trust set up in the name of the neighbouring Mnisi community was about to take ownership of a piece of land in settlement of a claim of the same kind.
Mr Bekker said the Nxumalo claim is still being processed by the Land Claims Court, but "these things take time".
After the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa introduced laws designed to compensate black communities who had lost land under racially discriminatory legislation since 1913.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
The claim invokes laws designed to compensate black South Africans who lost land under apartheid.
The Ulusaba reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park, is in one of the country's top game viewing regions.
The Nxumalo community's lawyer said he expects to reach a negotiated deal with the company Virgin Limited Edition.
The Ulusaba site, owned by Sir Richard's company, is part of the larger Sabie Sands reserve, all of which is being claimed by the Nxumalo community.
Lawyer Jurgens Bekker told the BBC News website that the claim involved 70,000 hectares of "prime nature reserve" land.
Mr Bekker said a joint venture between the claimants and the current owners was possible.
"I have no contact with Richard Branson or his representatives, but I have heard through the grapevine they are amenable to talk, which I think is the right approach," Mr Bekker said.
Virgin Limited Edition's managing director Jon Brown was quoted in the Independent newspaper as saying: "Sir Richard is aware of the claim and fully supports a co-operative approach".
South African land restitution laws allow for various kinds of settlement to be made, including compensation with cash or alternative land, or joint business ventures with existing owners.
Time
Mr Bekker said he had registered the Nxumalo Conservation Trust "to conserve property for their children's children - these trusts will ultimately own the land".
He added that a similar trust set up in the name of the neighbouring Mnisi community was about to take ownership of a piece of land in settlement of a claim of the same kind.
Mr Bekker said the Nxumalo claim is still being processed by the Land Claims Court, but "these things take time".
After the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa introduced laws designed to compensate black communities who had lost land under racially discriminatory legislation since 1913.
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