Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon members and ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank the Deputy Chair for acknowledging the youth; I will not do so because you have already done it. I was going to simply indicate that they are a very important group of young people whom we think will assist the country in rural development over the next few years. They are a group of young people who are going through soft skills training, and some of them are ready to move into hard skills training from 1 July.
We have just emerged from the local government elections, which were very rigorous and served to remind us of the vibrancy of the democracy we are nurturing. These elections, more than any other before, underscored the centrality of service delivery.
The department has already submitted to Parliament the strategic plan for the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period 2011 to 2014, accompanied by the Annual Performance Plan, APP.
Our land reform fundamentals remain the same: deracialising the rural economy, democratic and equitable allocation and use of land across gender, race and class, and sustained production discipline for food security. Our Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, fundamentals or measurables remain the same as well: meeting basic human needs; rural enterprise development; and small rural industries underpinned by markets and credit facilities. In this budget and policy speech, Deputy Chair, we are reviewing the work we have been undertaking over the past financial year, and also indicating areas of priority going forward.
We have strengthened the back office of the department, a very important function, to support and sustain the programmes that we are running in the field. We have also rationalised the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights. We have done that to ensure that there is synergy between what it does and the department, and to ensure that there is clarity in terms of accountability. That has been done because of the experiences over the many years that we have been running this programme. Our view is that it makes sense to clarify role responsibilities between the Chief Land Claims Commissioner, who has the responsibility to directly manage the restitution programme, and the accountability of the department in the form of the director-general, so that there is a clear line of accountability between the two.
This streamlining will ensure that the authority structure should result in that greater clarity. We are doing this for one reason only, namely to improve our performance and our service delivery to our people.
Land restitution is very complex and emotive. Improving our service delivery in this programme is not an option - it is a must. Many claimants have passed on, and continue to do so, while waiting for the day when their claims would be processed and concluded. We have taken the opportunity whenever we met with claimants, to pass the President's and government's apologies to affected families. Our people have accepted the apologies, but we cannot take this goodwill for granted. We have to respond. The rationalisation I referred to is part of the response to make sure that we have an accountable team that can respond.
The department has taken a strategic decision to prioritise financial compensation and state land in terms of restitution, while at the same time raising the tempo on solving the more complex and intricate land claims. The memorandum of understanding signed between the department and Mondi could prove to be an invaluable model in this regard.
The Recapitalisation and Development Programme is proving to be one of the most strategic decisions the department has taken during this period, despite the numerous challenges. It is supported by strategic partnerships with commercial farmers and the Recapitalisation and Development Fund.
One of the observations, particularly from commercial farmers with regard to the challenges referred to, is that the department's method of selecting strategic partners, particularly mentors, is often flawed, and that the department would choose or select farmers who have failed in their own farms and ventures. They hold that in certain instances strategic partners chosen by the department are not interested, and that they really want money.
The other criticism comes from emerging farmers who say that the department's selection of beneficiaries of redistributed land is not assisting; it selects people who do not have an interest in or ability and passion for farming. Both criticisms are valid and the department has accepted them. The two groups have requested to be part of the selection processes, and the department has accepted the requests. It is now left to the anticipated National Reference Group on Land Reform working with the department to work out the modalities.
One of the biggest success stories is the pilot that we are running on small rural towns' revitalisation. The two pilot sites, which we are running are both in the Western Cape; one is Witzenberg and the other in Dysselsdorp, in the Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality. These two are examples of what could be referred to as emergent, vibrant, equitable and sustainable communities, where generally all sectors of the community are involved in the development of their community. We invite hon members to visit them.
The Prince Albert Hamlet is an example of what young people could achieve, given an opportunity and back-up support. Both have become our reference, or learning points, in their respective areas of strength. I will not say much about the biggest youth development programme we are running - the National Rural Youth Service Corps, Narysec. I can only say that the only province that is not part of it for now is KwaZulu-Natal. We are in discussion with the province so that they can take part in this very important programme. I apologise, Deputy Chair, also to the hon members from KwaZulu-Natal. It is coming. I discussed it with the premier last Saturday.
The important thing about these young South Africans is that they have been chosen across the gender line, 50/50. At the moment we have 7 958 of them; 50% of them are women and every fourth person is supposed to be somebody with a disability.
We are thankful and very grateful to Disabled People South Africa, for assisting us in this regard in terms of selecting. This is another programme which reflects what could be done working together as departments of government. We are in partnership with the following departments: Defence and Military Veterans, Higher Education and Training, National Treasury through Statistics SA and Social Development. We all work together in this programme, and some provinces and local municipalities and communities are involved. All of them are involved in household and community profiling, because it is important for us to understand what is happening in each household so that we can make our plans effective. In other words, we will have maximum impact in each household targeted.
We have been piloting with Mrs Sibisi from KwaZulu-Natal over the past couple of months because she trains people in arts and crafts - women and young people, particularly in rural areas - and trades with the market. This is a very powerful programme, and we are working with her because there is a gap in the group. There are those who have disabilities and could therefore not be taken in for army training. Some of the youngsters you see there have gone through two months of nonmilitary training at De Brug. We want to take some of those who have disabilities through this course because it trains them in entrepreneurship and skills, with the market being ready for them. They can actually go home and use their acquired skills to start their own enterprises in arts and crafts and related commercial ventures.
On a very small scale, we are involved with the department, working with partners from both the public and private sectors, to respond and intervene in areas, which have been hit by natural disasters - lightning, flash floods and thunderstorms, and so forth. We have been providing emergency housing in the form of steel and sandbag technologies, as well as accessories such as gel stoves, solar lights, solar radios and lightning conductors. This has given us an opportunity, as a department, to work with partners to introduce, as you can see, solar lighting, solar radios, solar energy, and so on, to drive heating in homes.
These interventions, small as they may be, go a very long way in assisting affected households to quickly recover from the shock and trauma of suddenly losing valuable assets. It provides government with the opportunity to test and try new techniques to help out vulnerable households.
There have been very serious challenges; among them, the most enduring challenge is water. Actually, the scarcity of water is even undermining our efforts. In Muyexe, the biggest pilot project that we are running for the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, is water. Whenever you see coverage in the media, they talk about water. They are right.
The provincial department is constructing a pipeline from Nandoni Dam, some 45 km away, to bring water there. However, we would like the water not just to go to Muyexe, but to go to all villages on the way towards Muyexe. We are also constructing 37 km of water pipeline from the Orange River to Riemvasmaak in the Northern Cape. In KwaZulu-Natal we have constructed a water reservoir at Msinga, and at Disake in the North West province. Water is a challenge.
There is fraud and corruption. We have picked these up and approached the President, who has agreed to sign a proclamation for us to appoint a special investigation unit to conduct these investigations. Some of the officials of the department have been arrested already, and we will report to this House as progress continues.
There have been challenges, some of which are more technical in nature and are reflected on page seven with regard to eco-industrial implementation in the previous financial year. Of course, the problem is solved now. We are moving on and making progress. We have been in consultation with stakeholders, trying to forge social contracts with all forms of programmes of the department, such as the Farm Equity Schemes, Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development, the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, Plas, and other similar programmes.
We have been engaging with beneficiaries of this programme since November last year. The objective has been to share with them our current policy, and legislative, strategic and operational dimensions. We want to hear from them how they experience the programmes, and also learn from them with regard to our future projections, intentions and thoughts with regard to the new policy, particularly the key elements of the Green Paper on Land Reform, as well as the Draft Land Tenure Security Bill. Testing these thoughts and plans for the future with them has been very useful.
We want to continue with the priorities for the next financial year, including the provinces, municipalities and districts, because that's where work is taking place. We are working on that and in doing so, understand the challenges that are there, and that we need a smaller and leaner head office, with more work done at district and provincial levels.
Outcome 7 enjoins us to build vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities. This requires a closer working together with communities so that we avoid a one-size-fits-all approach in rural development. A deeper understanding of each household deepens insight into challenges facing each individual household and, ultimately, the whole community. Household and community profiling will therefore continue, and we will do that because it helps us to understand what it is that we have to do and deploy our resources that we have discussed accordingly. We hope that the Narysec group will grow to 20 000 over the next three years. It costs us about R800 million. This will contribute handsomely to the government's 2020 job creation programme. For now they are still going through training.
We are also developing a norms and standards schedule for the CRDP, because we need to understand exactly what we are dealing with. The challenge of backlogs in rural communities is serious but has not been quantified. We are working on it. Without it, any targets will amount to thumb-sucking. The department will nonetheless continue with its ad hoc, albeit measured, programmes on meeting basic human needs in rural communities, as a foundation for the next two economic development phases of the CRDP, ie rural enterprise development and small rural industries.
One major socioeconomic infrastructure development project which should commence by the end of next month is the Nelson Mandela Legacy Bridge over the Mbhashe River. It will join Mveso, the village where Nelson Mandela was born, and the other village, Ludondolo, and will will reduce travelling time from Mveso to the nearest town, which is 45km away by an hour.
This project will assist these communities in terms of saving money because, for now, those who have travelled to Mveso would know that if you are going to Mveso, you have to go around, almost close to Mthatha and turn back. This route will be cut by almost an hour, because it will move across the river, and take about 10 or 15 minutes from Mveso to reach the R72. We will also build two low-water bridges in Limpopo and two in Mpumalanga during this financial year.
Two other major socioeconomic projects have already started in Nkandla and Sikhame in KwaZulu-Natal. The Nkandla project is the brainchild of the community, and we are working in partnership on a smart growth development, together with the communities of the Masibambisane trust. It is at a feasibility stage. It is coming. The department has laid out bulk infrastructure for water and sanitation for 900 housing units. This, we are hoping, will lay the foundation for human settlements to come in and build houses. If they don't, we will.
Food security for all remains high on government's priorities. This is spelled out clearly in the performance agreement between the Minister and the President, in terms of Outcome 7. But food security can only be successfully executed with the involvement of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In terms of outputs 1 and 2 of Outcome 7, the leading department is Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. We have entered into an agreement with the department that, as we have capitalised funds, they will deal with the developments.
Finally, we would like to thank the hon members for completing this. It is a long programme, but we will be ready to respond to questions. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister, and hon members, the Minister's department has a great task. The implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, is seen as the main tool to address the needs of the rural marginalised communities and is a great achievement for the administration. President Zuma and his Cabinet must be applauded for giving the rural people a voice through this innovative programme.
Our government's outcomes approach to addressing the policy priorities of our country is clearly illustrated in Outcome 7 as "vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security for all", which is the responsibility of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. In trying to address this outcome, the department has developed a flagship programme called the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme that is linked to land and agrarian reform, and has been a key spending priority since 2009.
The aim of the CRDP is to alleviate poverty and food insecurity in rural areas by maximising the use of natural resources to create vibrant, equitable and sustainable communities. It addresses the specific needs of rural communities such as running water, sanitation, electricity, housing and development support.
The CRDP was rolled out in 29 wards in the 2009-10 financial year, and has been rolled out to 39 sites in 2010-11, which exceeded the target of 21 wards. Through the CRDP pilot schemes, infrastructure for basic services is currently provided in eight provinces. This is a great achievement!
It is envisaged that during the medium-term period it will be rolled out to all rural municipalities. The target is to reach 180 rural wards by January 2012. Minister, the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs fully supports this programme. Sinqwenela into yokuba niqhube kakuhle kwaye kungabikho nto eniphazamisayo kule nkqubo. [We hope that you will do well and that nothing will disrupt you in this programme.]
Since the inception of the CRDP in August 2009, 9 949 jobs were created and about 472 people have been skilled. In addition, through the newly launched National Rural Youth Service Corps Programme, 7 000 jobs for young people in rural areas have been created. In terms of the New Growth Plan, it is expected that 500 000 jobs will be created in the rural development sector by 2020.
The department expects to create 53 000 jobs in all the CRDP initiatives by 2014. Although this is a tall order, Minister, we know you will be able to deliver. Chairperson, the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs supports this programme fully and wants to congratulate the department for heeding the call for creating jobs.
Furthermore, the department aims to overhaul the land policy and legislation in order to facilitate sustainable land reform. These initiatives are fully supported. Minister, as our people have been landless for far too long. We need to speed up delivery in this regard.
It is clear from the vast mandate of the department that various challenges inhibit the department from implementing its programmes. Comrades, this is the time for proper integration of programmes of various departments so that we can do more together.
From the budget portion the department has been allocated a budget of R8,1 billion in 2011-12 to tackle the pressing need for rural development and land reform. The budget is expected to be used to roll out the CRDP pilots, settle outstanding commitments under the restitution programme and the backlogs on land delivery, which was suspended in the previous financial year due to a lack of funds, as well as to cover the recapitalisation of struggling land reform projects.
The budget is also expected to cover new policy initiatives to be undertaken in the current year, such as the Green Paper and Land Tenure Security Bill. All these budget proposals are fully supported. They address the key issues identified in the strategic plan of the department and support the key policy priorities of government.
There is a 6,3% increase in the overall budget allocation after taking inflation into account for the financial year. The huge increase in the budget allocation for the Land Reform and Rural Development Programme is much welcomed, as it shows that these programmes are being prioritised in the 2011-12 financial year.
The significant increase in the budget allocation for the rural development programme is for the implementation of the CRDP, in particular the National Rural Youth Service Corps Programme. The committee has noted that the budget allocation to the Restitution Programme in 2011-12 has declined, considering the fact that there are already previous commitments as well as court cases that have to be covered under this programme. Government will need to look for additional funds if we want to address the backlogs within the set timeframes.
The Land Reform Programme is responsible for providing sustainable land reform programmes in South Africa. The budget for the Land Reform Programme increases drastically from R2,1 billion in 2010-11, to R4,2 billion in 2011- 12, reflecting a real increase of 88,7%. The increase in the budget allocation of this programme is influenced by the significant real increase of 155,2% for Land Reform.
Chairperson, with regard to the holding account sub-programmes, the huge increase in the Agricultural Land Holding Account sub-programmes shows government's commitment to acquire more land proactively. Our government is sending out the message that we are serious about changing land ownership in South Africa. The budget allocation for both regional and provincial offices also increases significantly by 67,8% and 59,1% respectively, after taking inflation into account.
In the budget allocation for the Land Reform National Office Sub- Programmes, 35% is allocated for the Land Rights Management Facility to provide legal assistance to farm workers and farm dwellers, and for the audit of all state-owned enterprises. This assistance to the farm dwellers and farm workers is fully supported, as this sector of our society is often left vulnerable.
The increase in the budget allocation of the Land Reform regional office covers 61% for the compensation of employees and the remainder is to cater for the recapitalisation and development of distressed land reform projects, as well as to strengthen security of tenure for farm dwellers and labour tenants by providing legal support. With regard to the Land Reform grant budget, 20% will be used as grants to households to acquire land and the remainder will be used for recapitalisation and development of distressed farms.
Chair, the department's Recapitalisation and Development Programme, which is ambitiously targeting 411 projects for this financial year, is commended. This translates to assisting 3 169 beneficiaries within the financial year. This programme is urgently required since many projects that have received support from the various grants disbursed from the department require only a small intervention in order to be successful.
Finally comrades, I would leave you with this quote:
The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme is our national collective strategy in our joint fight against poverty, hunger, unemployment and lack of development in rural areas. It is an embodiment of our unshaken commitment that we shall not rest in our drive to eradicate poverty.
These are the words of our President spoken at the launch of the programme in Giyani, Limpopo on 17 August 2009. Minister, the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs supports Budget Vote No 33 for the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, and hon MEC, Mr Van Rensburg of the Western Cape, hon members, I wish to thank the department for its presentation to our committees and, in particular, our committee chairperson, Ms Qikani, for her effective meetings.
The world's population is moving to the cities. Africa's urban population is predicted to double by 2025, with 50 cities in Africa having populations of one million or more people. Land reform remains one of the government's key priorities. Poor service delivery, high unemployment in rural areas, slow economic growth and social fragmentation remain challenges, according to the analysis by the department.
Whilst the much talked-about, leaked Green Paper has not been officially published, the department states that it is in the process of proposing two separate Green Papers, one on rural development and the other on land reform and agrarian transformation. This could possibly include an increase in land tax to force prices down to ensure that large farm owners would be obliged to sell their land to the state.
In the Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Act, Act 112 of 1991, provision is made for the ownership as well as the transfer of tribal land, in full ownership, to the communities. This land should be transferred to individual emerging farmers, with the title deed, if productive farming and food security are to be maximised.
Some 95% of the land restitution claims lodged have been resolved. However, I see or hear that land restitution claims might be reopened going back to the time of Harry die Strandloper, when he owned the whole of Sea Point and Green Point. What the opening of this Pandora's Box is going to do, I do not know. However, due to poor administration by the department, offers to purchase land from willing sellers were negotiated and signed to the value of some R12 billion. As a result, R700 million of the restitution budget has been used to settle urgent court orders on litigation awarded to applicants.
Many problems remain. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform still do not know how much land is in state-ownership or the general ownership of land in South Africa. The comprehensive land register is only estimated to be completed in 2013. Many farm owners await their deed registration certificates without which they struggle to obtain loans, as there is no security.
In 2010-11 a R2 billion reprioritisation was made to the 2010 adjustment estimates to include and increase expenditure of R1,5 billion to pay for urgent court orders and finalise critical land claims. According to the department, some 18 297 claims must be settled and 3 673 claims are to be researched. One wonders what these unnecessary legal claims will cost the taxpayer in the interim.
In addition, 7,4 million hectares of land, which have been transferred or redistributed to previously disadvantaged persons since 1994, have not yielded the desired results. The Minister alluded to that. One of the reasons is the lack of capacity of new landowners or farmers to farm productively and thereby improve economic development. Since the inception of the government's proactive land acquisition strategy plans in 2006, some 98,3% of state land transferred to land reform beneficiaries by the department has not been transferred as freehold title. This, in effect, means the government is acquiring state-owned land, whilst black beneficiaries are merely its tenants.
Under the land distribution scheme since 1994, in my own province, the Free State, some 200 farms have either been abandoned or are not productive. Whilst many farms will now be assisted through the recapitalisation programme, this must be monitored, working closely with sufficiently trained extension officials and mentors. Beneficiaries who do not or cannot farm must be replaced by farmers who use agricultural land productively and contribute towards economic development and food security. Taxpayers' money must not be thrown into a bottomless pit. The department hopes that 1 807 farms countrywide will be recapitalised and developed by 2014. One quarter of the R900 million budget for restitution was diverted to the recapitalisation programme in the last financial year.
The New Growth Path, NGP, intends to create some 500 000 jobs in the rural sector in the next 10 years. This department, together with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, intends to rehabilitate some of the 27 identified irrigation schemes in the former homelands, a few of which have been visited by our NCOP committee. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, because of its larger budget, will apparently rehabilitate the infrastructure of these irrigation schemes, and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will concentrate on the farming aspects. These schemes have the potential of creating many jobs and increasing food security, if used properly. Soil erosion is very bad in the Eastern Cape, and combating it could also provide many job opportunities.
The DA's approach to land reform has always been about the creation of genuine, broad-based opportunity, coupled with the expansion and diversification of South Africa's commercial agricultural sector. This would increase productivity, create more rural jobs and promote food security. It requires an energetic and focused government which is willing and able to perform its own functions effectively, whilst at the same time creating economic conditions which are conducive to sustained economic growth, attract investment, and create jobs to help eradicate the grinding rural poverty which grips the majority of our communities. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chair, Minister, Deputy Minister, members of the NCOP, and officials, the past few days have seen controversial and shocking newspaper headlines. They speak of war and land grabs. They speak of rural communities who are advised to organise themselves into protection units ready to fight any attempted land invasion.
These headlines are hurting us. It is damaging investor confidence in South Africa. It is causing grave concern among ordinary South African citizens. Many South African citizens are still looking towards opportunities for a better life, but in the process they are making a mistake by linking land ownership on the one hand with prosperity on the other.
Unfortunately, in the modern world the land question is much more complex. Wealth is only created on land that is used in a productive manner. Land that is not linked to the final consumer through an integrated value chain cannot create wealth. Creating wealth from the land is hard work. The same land that can be used for the creation of wealth can also create poverty if it is not used correctly. [Interjections.]
These newspaper headlines refer to our challenge of land reform and rural development in an irresponsible manner. We, as responsible officials, must take note of the urgency of the need for opportunities amongst our people.
Some of us here today are no longer young. Over time we have become grey, but with the grey hair comes better insight into people. With our age comes the wisdom to know that war is never an answer. Fighting does not solve problems. Land alone will not solve our problems. We need land and people to integrate with our economy in such a manner that jobs are created. [Interjections.]
I am confident that we can solve our land challenges without straying beyond the boundaries so clearly set out in our Constitution. Respect for the rule of law and the right to own property are two cornerstones from our Constitution on which we build a prosperous South Africa.
I also know that between the extremes of those calling for war on the one hand, and those calling for the creation of rural protection units, on the other hand, the great majority of South Africans want something far more positive, peaceful and progressive. It is on this middle group of citizens that I pin my hopes and dreams for South Africa. We are already seeing the success stories of South Africans who are moving towards prosperity, with the help and support of other like-minded South Africans. We need to foster closer ties with the commercial farmers of South Africa. If we give them security, they will be our closest allies in land reform and rural development.
In Suurbraak outside Swellendam, Dirk van Papendorp, a commercial farmer, assisted his neighbour, Dirk Willemse, a new farmer, to profitably produce and sell his first crop of coriander this year. Dirk Willemse's future life as a farmer in South Africa has been transformed. There is no financial gain involved for Dirk van Papendorp. He is just an ordinary South African who believes in a better future for all of us. Success breeds success. There are more bold future plans of this kind for the Suurbraak farmers, and I know they will be successful.
It is in this spirit that I want to acknowledge Minister Nkwinti for the co- operation and understanding he brings to land reform and rural development. The Western Cape government is working together with Minister Nkwinti on several projects, the most notable one currently being in Dysselsdorp. We are learning as we go along, but one fact has crystallised over the past two years in Dysselsdorp: without teamwork and commitment from all the different role-players, rural development cannot succeed. National government, provincial government, local government, and most importantly, the community itself, need to work together. In Dysselsdorp, we are doing this and positive results are already visible.
Unfortunately, the opposite is also still happening. I recently visited a group of despondent farmers in the Western Cape who were given land where not even the best farmer in South Africa would be able to make a living. These human tragedies happen when role-players work in silos and the objectives of land reform, rural development and agriculture are not synchronised.
I want to thank Minister Nkwinti for lifting the moratorium on equity share schemes as a means of agricultural land reform and empowerment. He also initiated various workshops and symposiums on equity share schemes. I am confident that all current and future schemes will benefit from the new insights that were gained during this process.
I want to reaffirm the absolute commitment from agriculture in South Africa to the successful transformation and empowerment of black farmers. Together with the commercial farmers of South Africa, we will see more examples such as Dirk Willemse and fewer examples of despondent people who are being impoverished on the land where they can do nothing.
We, as politicians and government officials, can contribute to successful land reform and rural development by creating an environment that will promote trust amongst our people. We should not make radical statements that create mistrust and tension amongst South Africans. We must bring people with similar intentions together. [Interjections.]
It is the responsibility of those with grey beards to see beyond short-term political point-scoring and focus on the work that needs to be done in order to create an environment where our grandchildren and great- grandchildren can prosper. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, let me also recognise the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, the hon Minister, the Deputy Minister, the MEC and hon members, and of course our invited guests. We meet here just five days before the 56th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter by the Congress of the People, the real Congress of the People, on 26 June 1955. [Interjections.] Therefore, I suggest, as I did in the EPC when Minister Nkwinti presented his Budget Vote, that we take this opportunity, Mr Van Rensburg, to look at what the Freedom Charter had to say about the land. I am doing this, because, of late, when we look for votes, the DA adopts the Freedom Charter. I am not sure whether they want to implement it. So the relevant section is entitled, "the land shall be shared among those who work it."
Uyabona-ke Sihlalo, uma sikhuluma ngezomhlaba nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhaya, siye sivukelwe wumoya ngoba lapha sibona ubuhlungu, nokuhlukunyezwa, sizizwe lezi zinhlungu zokuphathwa kwabantu bakithi siyibone nendlala enkulu ikakhulukazi laphaya emakhaya nasemapulazini. Sikubuke nokugqilazwa kwabantu bakithi, lapho behlukunyezwa khona okwezigqila emhlabeni wabo ngalesi sikhathi senkululeko; yikhona-ke lokhu okwenza sivukelwe wumoya. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, when we speak of land and rural development, we get very emotional because here we see the pain and the abuse. We feel the pain of abused people and we see hunger, especially in rural areas and on the farms. We even see our people treated as slaves in their own land in this era of democracy; this is what enrages us.]
The Freedom Charter includes the following demands: restriction of land ownership on a racial basis shall be ended and all the land re-divided amongst those who work it to banish famine and hunger; the state shall help the peasants with implements, seeds, tractors and dams to save the soil and assist the tillers; the freedom of movement shall be guaranteed to all who work on the land; all shall have the right to occupy the land wherever they choose; people shall not be robbed of their cattle; and forced labour and farm prisons shall be abolished.
Uyabona-ke lokhu kwakubhaliwe ngonyaka we-1955 kodwa kukhulunywa ngezinto ezenzeka namhlanje. [This was written in 1955, but it speaks of the things that are happening today.]
For us from the liberation movement, Chairperson, the imminent imposition of the 1913 Land Act that dispossessed the native Africans of their land and livelihood was the trigger that led to the formation of the South African Native National Congress in 1912. To us, the land question is fundamental to our National Democratic Revolution. We are not going to apologise for that. Unless we deal with this issue successfully, we are not going to be able to talk about stability.
A brief summary of where we are now, in relation to these historic demands - we are talking about production discipline and food security, which are now prioritised by the department. A number of the departmental programmes focus on providing concrete support to black farmers, for example, seeds, implements, infrastructure, training and support.
In theory, racial segregation is outlawed, but in reality, of course, landownership and social relations in the countryside still reflect the apartheid legacy. We may have outlawed forced labour and farm prisons, but we still hear of cases where vulnerable farm dwellers have their cattle impounded, and farm evictions continue, often illegally.
This is exactly why the department has drafted the Land Tenure Security Bill, to close the loopholes. You see, the Freedom Front Plus harangued - like you are doing now - and accused us of populism when we said farm dwellers were still treated as slaves on their own land in this day, in the era of democracy.
The Freedom Front Plus challenged us to present the statistics on farm evictions. I have two researched documents here, which I am referring you to in order to acquaint yourself with what I am talking about. I have returned them with the information.
There is one background statistic which should make us all pause. Between 1994 and 2003 approximately 940 000 farm dwellers were evicted and only 1% in accordance with the Constitution through what we call a court order. This report was conducted by Cousins and Hall; here is the report. That is why it is vital to tighten the legislation on the security of tenure to provide legal assistance to the three million farm dwellers who are left on commercial farms. Let me talk about this report on the legal services that was initiated by the department. This project was carried out by Cheadle Thompson and Haysom Attorneys under the advisory board chaired by Prof Asmal - that is when a national legal panel to assist the vulnerable and dwellers was established.
Over three years, the panel dealt with 1 020 cases affecting 20 500 occupiers directly. Four hundred and thirty-three of these cases were settled by November 2010, with an 86% success rate in favour of the occupiers. The vast majority of the cases related to evictions, with livestock and burial disputes also featuring - something very sensitive to the African community.
Cheadle Thompson and Haysom concluded that, "the 1 020 cases dealt with represent only a snapshot of the state of tenure security in South Africa". Again, the case for a review of policy and legislation regarding the tenure is overwhelming.
Another report of Mediation and Transformation Practice of May 2011 says, "in a three-year period, the project dealt with 670 land rights disputes; the majority related to eviction and grazing rights". Mediators reported massive tensions as they tried to balance the rights of often illiterate occupiers with those of obstinate farmers who often did not understand the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, Esta, Act 62 of 1997, legislation. More positively, of the 599 closed cases, 77% mediated suggested that progress is being made.
The overwhelming majority of the disputes were between white landowners and black occupiers. The Mediation and Transformation Practice, MTP, found an escalating trend towards illegal evictions and threats of evictions in an attempt to prevent the occupiers from reaching long-term occupier status. Again, the need for legislation to stop these loopholes is very clear. In all these gross human rights violations we never heard a word of protest from the DA or the FF Plus.
This is the opposite of their stunts when the white farmers were killed. They were correct to raise that issue, but when it was about black people, they were simply quiet. Why? Because the black life is very cheap and you only need it for votes when it is elections. [Interjections.]
Let me come to the land question. We are all aware of cases such as District Six, a symbol of apartheid inhumanity and the destruction visited upon the vibrant communities in the name of racial supremacy. There are hundreds more of such cases throughout South Africa. The point I am making here is that the hurt and damage caused by apartheid is still with us, and this National Democratic Revolution of ours will not be complete until the land question is addressed. Hence the Minister is proposing a lot of issues in the Green Paper, and these issues are responding to some of the issues that are topical debates today.
In his budget policy speech, Minister Nkwinti referred to the challenges that face the land restitution programme, the complexities of dealing with competing interests and claims which often require careful research, facilitation and mediation, together with a lack of capacity and resources. With courage and integrity the Minister has met with thousands of claimants and beneficiaries to hear their experiences and engage them on how to take the process forward - and in all humility, to apologise for some of the delays.
It is the first time that a Minister takes responsibility in this government, under President Zuma, to apologise. I do not know if the others are ready to apologise about their sins of the past. From our side, systems are now in place to fast-track claims. The challenge of inadequate resources remains. I am particularly concerned about the implications of the recent court decisions which called for compensation of old-order mineral and land rights. There appears to be tension at the heart of our Constitution; whilst it recognises and seeks to promote the rights of the dispossessed, it simultaneously effectively entrenches the rights of the vested and the landed interests.
Where are we now? Many of the farms transferred to black ownership failed. This should not have come as a surprise. Apartheid did two things: it dumped millions of black people in the countryside - those who were superfluous to the labour needs of the urban economy - and simultaneously it denied them any meaningful access to productive agricultural land. Black people were dumped in semi-arid areas in the homelands - that you must know. Even basic subsistence agriculture declined. So, when we gave people land after 1994 without providing adequate follow-up training, credit and other support, we were setting our people up for failure.
Going forward, all restitution and land reform projects are now accompanied by viable business plans which include training, mentorship, partnerships and other forms of support. All of this is guided by the principles which the Minister has been able to talk about.
Therefore, as government our task is twofold: we want to restore the land to the people, which is a political and moral imperative; but at the same time we want to restore people to the practical knowledge of the land - an economic and developmental necessity.
This reflects to us a crucial shift from the approach of handing out land willy-nilly with the inherent danger of failure to a productive model of development which stresses empowerment and skilling people to create their own employment opportunities, with the necessary support from government.
In general, the process of land claims is long and tedious, as is the process of the post-settlement grants and support. Unfortunately, we also have to acknowledge that the land restitution process has suffered from corruption to the point where the Minister - not told by anybody - has invited the Special Investigating Unit to investigate all these allegations and he has reported on what is going on there.
Despite all the challenges of this complex process of restitution and land reform, stakeholder consultations over the last six months have all concluded with the call to proceed with renewed vigour and indeed to reopen the process of land claims to those who - through no fault of their own - missed out on the earlier process. The Minister was very clear here. He said he will convey these sentiments to Cabinet; it is up to Cabinet to take a decision. Even regarding the issue of the land audit, the Minister is seized with that particular issue.
It requires from us clear focus on how we intend to implement. This requires greatly enhanced capacity on the side of the department, as well as ongoing debate on how restitution and land reform will be financed, given the high costs government is facing. One of the positive statements that you must take from what you say, hon Van Rensburg, is in the media, is that unless we address these issues in a calm and disciplined manner, as government and all of us, with farmers and landowners, we will reap the whirlwind of rising social dissatisfaction in the future. This will happen unless we confront the issues now which are obstacles facing us. We must not run away and scream left, right and centre. [Interjections.]
An hon MEMBER: Like Julius!
An hon MEMBER: Yes, like Julius. [Interjections.]
Let us focus on rural development. The establishment of this department in 2009 to replace the old Land Affairs reflected the government's prioritisation of rural development. Now we have an understanding of the issues and the Minister has been able to address those issues.
Let me go to the last issue and say that a crucial component of the comprehensive rural development is our National Rural Youth Service Corps, Narysec, which is a youth skills development programme. Its recruits will receive skills training that directly prepares them for the job market, including entrepreneurship and construction-related skills which have been identified as a great need in rural areas. To this end, we are working with the FET colleges.
Lastly, as the state, we are not going to compromise, and I must conclude by saying in 2012, we, as the ruling Party, will be celebrating a centenary. Historical accounts indicate what I have said, namely that this imminent imposition of 1913 led to the formation of the South African Native Naional Congress. It is therefore inconceivable that after a century of struggle and the 17 years of democracy, social relations on the countryside can continue to mirror the values of segregation and apartheid. The broad mission to us remains that- we want to restore the land, human dignity and respect to all South Africans, and we are not apologetic about that. I thank you. [Applause.]
Thank you very much, hon Deputy Minister. Hon members you will be aware that I allowed a process of flow and heckling, but let us ensure that in doing that, as we engage in a political environment, we do not lose decorum and in so doing actually interfere with the speaker or the member on the floor. I just thought that I must raise that, because I did not want to interfere with that process.
Hon House Chairperson, Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members, first of all I would like to say to the Deputy Minister that I hope that the type of debate you were engaging in is directed at the administrators, because when we have committee members, more especially your committee members, it is frustrating. It seems as if they don't understand where they are and what they are doing. It would be good for them to understand this, because the way you were addressing us you were provoking our inner demons as black persons. [Applause.]
We know that about 50% of the people in this country live in rural areas where they are suffering because of poverty and malnutrition. The Minister indicated a project that should be implemented there, but those things are mostly theoretical. I would love to hear more about what has been said about the Muyexe project.
The Minister has indicated the issue of water. The project exists, but it has been stopped. If you read the newspapers last Sunday, you would know that it has been stopped because of the fight amongst the people involved in the tender. We need the Minister to get involved in this matter and fast- track it, so that we can solve the problem at Muyexe.
During our provincial week we went to the Lephalale Agricultural Corridor. On paper it was wonderful. Then we were taken to the land, where we found only two pumpkins - I'm not exaggerating - two pumpkins, still germinating, not yet fully grown. [Laughter.] We wondered to ourselves what was happening there. That should be followed up. You are doing a wonderful job, but we need monitoring and service delivery.
There are a lot of things ... [Interjections.] That is not my conclusion. [Laughter.]
There is an issue that the Minister impressed me a lot with. It is in connection with the solar radios and stoves. We would love to know the provinces where you succeeded in implementing this and the percentages as well. I heard the Minister say that land redistribution is a complex thing. How complex is it? If it was the Deputy Minister giving that address, it would be easy.
Administrators, I'm repeating, should get lectures from you as soon as possible. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon House Chairperson, hon Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Deputy Minister Nxesi, hon members, distinguished guests, hon Makhubela is correct when he talks about inner demons ...
... xa sithetha ngomhlaba. Ndibona nendlela abenza ngayo ekudala bahlala nomhlaba. Mabaxole ngoba iza kwenzeka le nto iza kwenzeka. [... when we talk about land. I notice the way those who owned land a long time ago behave. They must just live with it, because change is inevitable.]
The ANC election manifesto of 2009 on rural development that emanates from the resolutions adopted at the 52nd national conference organised in Polokwane in 2007, commits government to implement the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, in order to address poverty eradication, provide employment opportunities, reduce inequality and provide support for sustainable livelihoods, as my chairperson has alluded to. The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, as a national project of government with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform as a catalyst and facilitator, should ensure that rural development programmes take place at the required depth and scope.
It is for these reasons that we strongly believe that if the CRDP is correctly implemented, it can facilitate processes to address the specific and prioritised needs of the communities in rural areas, ranging from clean running water, decent shelter, to proper sanitation and enterprise development support, based on the three strategic pillars which are: agrarian transformation, rural development and land reform.
As we participate in this Budget Vote we should remind ourselves that the dawn of the fourth term of the democratic Parliament was welcomed with a broad consensus that this term ought to be an activist Parliament.
Implicit in this new-found character is the resolution to energetically and proactively lead national discourse, champion the interests of South Africans and conduct robust oversight on the mandate of the executive, without fear or favour, in order to ensure optimal delivery of basic services to citizens.
Rural development and land reform, which are priorities of government, are indeed on our own priority list when it comes to our oversight work. By the end of this term we would like to see a marked improvement in how government responds to the developmental challenges in rural areas. This is important because we need to stop the movement of many of our people from rural to urban areas, only to realise that they do not have the skills to participate in urban economic life.
The Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs received briefings from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform on its policy and budget, Vote 33. At its meeting with the department the select committee agreed, to monitor, among other things, the CRDP, which is an important intervention towards realising the department's objectives.
Informed by the mandate of the ANC from the electorate, there is a need for the department to support the development of sustainable and vibrant rural communities with all the amenities which are necessary to support the quality of life in a rural area.
It is a fact that many of our rural villages today do not have many of these amenities such as water, roads, electricity, etc. In fact, these facilities are associated with urban life and not with the needs of people, irrespective of where they reside. This teaches us about the comprehensive nature of land and agrarian reform as we pursue it in South Africa.
As the Freedom Charter declares:
The land shall be shared among those who work it. Restrictions of landownership on a racial basis shall be ended, and all the land redivided amongst those who work it to banish famine and land hunger.
Therefore, with rural development the exodus to cities will come to an end, as rural areas will be self-sustaining. The rural development programme aims to create vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities by focusing on land reform and cultivation.
Land is central to the implementation of government's comprehensive rural development strategy. In this context, allow me to remind the Minister that the issue of land claims is still a challenge in the provinces. This needs our undivided and collective attention.
In conclusion, I want to thank the Minister for the wonderful work that he has done and for intervening in some areas in my province, KwaZulu-Natal.
When we talk about rural development we are referring to the communities that were always left behind and not focused on. We urge an urgent and quick response to our concerns.
Ukukhala akupheli, Mphathiswa. Singamameli aba bakhalayo kanti bebezuza kuqala. [Complaints do not come to an end, Minister. Let us not listen to those who are complaining but were previously benefiting.]
The ANC supports the Budget Vote of the department. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, I must start by thanking the hon members for their contributions in this debate - it helps. Once hon members are able to go through the speech they would recognise that a lot of the things they said in the financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 are contained in the policy speech.
Hon members will pick up all the issues that have been raised, including page 11 where the hon members were talking about state land. I just want to say that with regard to that hon members should just look at the speech. It talks about prioritising financial compensation and state land with regard to restitution. So hon members must not turn their backs on their own proposals - they are in the speech. Thank you very much for that.
Also, this thing of shifting funds is a historical challenge, because in the past there was this view that restitution would take five years. Then the allocation of funds by the Treasury was always skewed in favour of land redistribution. That is what is happening now. We also mentioned in the policy speech that we would negotiate with Treasury to make sure that we reorganise that balance. Thanks for raising the issue of soil erosion; we will look at that.
Regarding the Malema declaration - during the debate in the National Assembly, when the DA was telling us that we were too slow and things were not moving. We told them that they should not be excited about their young lioness - it was a young lioness of the DA that was saying that. We told them that we have our own young lions and we can unleash them, and that if we were to unleash them they would not be happy about it.
So, that is what happens. The Malema declaration is exactly what we are talking about, namely that the hon members of the House ought to appreciate the fact that the ANC is hastening slowly with this very emotive and complex issue of land restitution. We are hastening slowly so that we make sure that we also balance the transfer of land with food security.
Over the next 50 years, in fact, some people are actually anticipating that the Third World War will be about food security. Therefore, we cannot continue along a path that is not helpful to our people. We have to find a way of balancing that.
It is important for us also to recognise the fact that it is the ANC Youth League that is the tonsils of the ANC. The ANC is in government, and it is the tonsils of government. Therefore, it is for us to listen to the voices of young people. [Interjections.] They are actually throwing in new ideas to the ANC so that the ANC can begin to understand and appreciate the pressures that the young people are facing in our country. [Interjections.]
It is also important for members to trust the President when he continuously says in the National Assembly - and probably here too - that the policy of the ANC, as we speak now, is not speaking about nationalisation. However, it is a historic reality that in the Freedom Charter there is a clause which talks about that. And the Youth League speaks on that one. They are not actually coming from elsewhere with this story of nationalisation. The ANC processes will determine at the end of the day where this debate ends. So let us not jump to conclusions. It is premature to do so. [Interjections.]
With regard to communal land being allocated to farmers in the context of freeholds, we are going to present the Green Paper on the issue. Indeed, we will present the Green Paper while continuing with the debate that says the land belongs to all of us. It belongs to all of us! It does not belong to a few minorities. It does not! It belongs to all of us, and as South Africans we must engage in this debate. So when we present the Green Paper, we will engage in this debate and we are presenting corporate proposals that relate to state land, freehold land and land owned by foreigners in South Africa. [Interjections.]
There is no country in the world where foreigners own land freely - nowhere in the world. Perhaps we are the only one. Perhaps we are still wavering in the niceties of liberation of having been freed from apartheid constraints. But now we are facing reality. It is our land, our heritage and the future. That is why the Youth League is now saying: Let us look at the future. What will we inherit from our forefathers? What will we inherit? It is a real question - a real debate.
However, the policy remains the same, namely that we are not nationalising land until that decision is taken by a policy conference and that is the national conference of the ANC. It is true that state land or land acquired by the state in some instances will make the point here.
Indeed we would want to see political implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme on the ground. This is also another reality. A couple of months ago we bought a big machine in Muyexe, costing about half a million rand, for the women there to manufacture bricks and paving, because we are encouraging enterprise development.
Just over a week ago the machine was stolen. This is something that we are worried about, but we are following it up - stolen! This means that a huge asset has been stolen. An attempt was made, as this was meant to manufacture paving so that we could pave the internal roads in Muyexe. That would have created jobs. We regret this, but we have to say it. This is something that we cannot afford as a country - to provide an asset, secure it, lock it up, and to have somebody go in, disassemble it and run away with it. This is a big machine and one cannot carry it without loading it onto a bakkie.
We want to see visible change. That is what we are trying to do, and the reality is also that our institutions of learning - like the agricultural colleges and FET colleges - actually don't have the capability of living up to the expectation of the moment. We need to acknowledge that.
Lastly, land claims consitute a challenge - both financial and with regard to institutional arrangements that are in place. That is what we will see when we bring to the House the amendments to the Restitution of Land Rights Act, Act 22 of 1994, and survey that. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.