District six‘s oldest claimant, Shariefa Khan, passed away at the age of 100 on Wednesday, 26 January, before being able to reclaim her home.
Khan, who was affectionately nicknamed “mamma” by those who knew her, passed away around 4:00am after experiencing difficulty breathing, as per News24.
District 6 Working Committee (D6WC) confirmed the passing of the beloved resident via a statement.
Khan would have turned 101 on 25 April 2022.
“Last April, she signed the papers to receive her new apartment in District 6, as part of Phase 3 of the restitution process.
“Her family spent some months making the unit more comfortable and disabled-friendly for her.”
According to the D6WC, Khan never received final permission to move into her unit as the national government was still in the process of tending to safety concerns and defects in the building.
In 1966, District Six was declared a “whites-only” neighbourhood by the Apartheid government, forcing the Khans to vacate their home. The family moved to Rylands, as per IOL.
“The D6WC would like to extend its heartfelt condolences to the Khan family and share its utter grief and disappointment with not seeing Mrs Khan’s final wish of restitution being fulfilled.
“We thank Mrs Khan for fighting the good fight until the end and supporting our court case which will bring restitution to many families like hers. The D6WC remains committed to seeking restitution for Mrs Khan’s children who are also elderly,” the heartfelt statement continued.
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Picture: District 6 Working Committee