Hon Deputy Speaker, the necessity for an integrated approach to spatial planning and land use management is key to sustainable development. The need to give spatial consideration to the protection of prime and unique agricultural land is of paramount importance to food security in our country. This matter is of such significance that the Minister must give it the highest priority.
South Africa has a large land mass. However, prime and unique agricultural land makes up a very small portion of that. Such land should immediately be identified and entered into a register. By ring-fencing prime and unique agricultural land, planners and developers will understand where development is forbidden. By the same token, land that has not been used for any agricultural purposes whatsoever, since 1994, should also be identified and entered into a separate register in order to fast-track suitable development on such land. Millions of hectares are lying unused while millions of people in our country are jobless and hungry.
The function of spatial planning and land use management should not be to frustrate development, but rather to facilitate and accelerate development. If developers knew which land was earmarked for immediate development of a determined type, investment would occur and jobs would be created.
Cope strongly urges the Minister to use this Bill as basis for stimulating appropriate economic activity, not stifling it as bureaucrats are doing with legislation, generally. Land use as schemes must be published annually and the attention of investors to approved land schemes must be drawn. Annually, the national provincial and local government must meet to assess whether this Bill, when it is signed into law, accelerates appropriate development. Section 12(1)(k) must be highlighted so that the national and provincial spheres of government and each municipality can annually announce the spatial development framework that they have developed to provide direction for strategic development and infrastructure investment, and can indicate priority areas for investment in land development.
I give the Minister notice that we, as Cope, will be referring to section 12(1)(k) in written and oral questions to ascertain whether the Minister has kept his focus on this issue. We will keep focusing on this issue because we want optimal and sustainable use of our land for the benefit of the millions who are jobless today. It is an indictment on government that 12 million people go hungry every day, where land lies idle. We will visit section 12(1)(k) again and again to ensure that the Minister is on top of his job. South Africa needs development, but government, especially local government, as everyone knows, is impeding investment because of corruption, long delays in processing applications and ineptitude. This has to be dealt with decisively for a better life for all.
In fact, a clause should have been inserted providing for an ombudsperson to bring crooked and lazy officials into line. It is one thing to have a good Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act; it is quite another to implement the Act. That is what we will be watching.
As I conclude, people around Hammanskraal and Sekhukhune were shocked today because of dirty water, lack of land, etc, and all this we are discussing is part and parcel of that. Are we going to continue killing ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
DEPUTY SPEAKER: Enkosi, Mhlekazi. Ixesha lakho liphelile. [Thank you, sir. Your time has expired.]