Deputy Speaker, His Excellency the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency the Deputy President, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, on 14 February 2013, the President presented his state of the nation address to this House, setting out what government has undertaken to address the triple challenge of income inequality, poverty and unemployment. The President further set out what government is doing to give effect to the National Development Plan, which serves as our country's vision.
Sekela Somlomo ohloniphekileyo, eneneni kuliqhayiya kakhulu ukuba namhlanje ndithabathe inxaxheba kule ngxoxo kaMongameli, ngoba le ngxoxo kaMongameli ichaphazela umbandela obaluleke kakhulu kuMzantsi Afrika uphela. Ichaphazela uhlengahlengiso lomhlaba. Uhlengahlengiso lomhlaba lume ngentsika ezine Sekela Somlomo ohloniphekileyo ezizezi zilandelayo, ukwabelana ngomhlaba; ukubuyisela umhlaba ebantwini; uphuhliso lomhlaba nokuhlengahlengiswa kobuni bomhlaba. Umhlaba kweli lizwe usezandleni zabantu abambalwa, uninzi lwabantu alunamhlaba.
Uhlengahlengiso lomhlaba belujongwa ngeentsika ezimbini ukususela ekuthatheni kwethu ulawulo ngentando yesininzi eMzantsi Afrika, ukuza kuma ngonyaka wama-2009 apho kuye kwamiselwa iSebe lezoPhuhliso lwamaPhandle noHlengahlengiso lemiMhlaba. Bekujongwa ukuhlengahlengiswa kwemihlaba nokubuyiselwa kwemihlaba ebantwini ngamabango. Iziphumo zaloo nto zaba kukuba siqwalesele ekubuyiseni ama-30 ekhulwini omhlaba ngowama-2014 ebantwini.
Ekwenzeni le mbuyekezo siye satyeshela uphuhliso lomhlaba, oluyintsika yesithathu, kwezi zine. Loo nto Sekela Somlomo isenze sanga siyaqhwalela, sahamba kancinci. Ibangele ukuba, phantsi kwesikhokelo sikaMongameli U J G Zuma, olapha kuleNdlu nathi namhlanje kubekho lenkqubo esisicwangciso ebizwa ngokuba yi-Recapitalisation and Development Programme. Kwakhona phantsi kwesikhokelo sakhe uNxamalala kubekhona ukuqwalaselwa kobuni bomhlaba ukuze sikwazi ukubanendlela yokusondeza abantu bakuthi abantsundu kulo mhlaba. Yiyo le nto phantsi kwesikhokelo sakhe siphethe siqulunkqa lento kuthiwa esiNgesini yi- four-tier land tenure system, ethetha ngeendidi ezine zomhlaba.
Esokuqala isigaba kukuba umhlaba osezandleni zikarhulumente, singawuthengisi, siqeshise ngawo kubantu bakuthi ukuze sibancedise bakwazi ukwenza imveliso kuwo. Okwesibini, kukuba umhlaba osezandleni zabantu mawulingane, kungabikho oohili bangaka! Izigebenga zingaka! Makulinganwe ngabantu apha ebunini bomhlaba. Loo nto ithetha ukuba kubantu abanomhlaba, kuza kubakho uphahla oluza kunqanda ukuba abantu bangabingooHlohlesakhe.
Kukho abantu abaneefama ezincinci, nabanye abaneefama eziphakathi kunye nabaneefama ezinkulu kakhulu, kodwa bonke aba bantu barhweba ngokufanayo. Ngoko ke yonke le nto sixakeke yiyo ngoku yokuba kuqwalaselwe, ifama encinci, kuba imihlaba ayifani, inorthern Cape ayifani nesouthern cape neKwaZulu Natal, iimozulu azifani, umhlaba awufani kunye nezinto abantu abafama ngazo azifani. Kufuneka ukuba kujongwe ezi zinto ukuba umfama ziza kumbeka phi xa kuthethwa ngophahla lobuni bomhlaba.
Abantu basemzini akufunekanga ukuba babe ngabanini bomhlaba kweli lizwe, kufuneka baqeshiselwe. Okwesine, kukhona abantu bakuthi apho bahlala khona neenkosi, sibona ukuba inani linyukile laba bantu abanikwa umhlaba. Aba bantu ngabantu abakhokelwa ziiCPA neeTrust, kukho nalapho iinkosi zihlala khona. Lo mhlaba kufanele ukuba kubonakale indlela eza kuveza ukuba abantu abahlala kuwo, ngabantu abanelungelo nemvume yokusebenzisa lo mhlaba, babonisane ukuba lingakhuseleka njani ilungelo labo lokusebenzisa umhlaba.
Loo nto yenza ukuba ngeli xesha kufaneleke sibonisane ukuba siza kwenza kanjani ukuze aba bantu bakwazi ukusebenzisa lo mhlaba. Ukuze bakwazi ukuya ezibhankini; bakwazi ukuwenza ubelilifa labantwana babo; bakwazi ukuba bakhuseleke nokuba utata okanye abazali bonke beswelekile kusele abantwana bodwa.
Ngoko ke, uMongameli usikhokelele ekubeni sijonge kanye encakrancakreni ukuba abantu bakuthi bafikelela kanjani emhlabeni welizwe labo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Deputy Speaker, indeed it is a great honour for me today to be taking part in the debate on the President's state of the nation address because it touches on something very important to the whole of South Africa, namely land reform. Land reform has four pillars which are the following: Land redistribution, land restitution, land development and land tenure reform. The largest portion of land in this country is in the hands of a few, and the majority is landless.
From the time we assumed democratic power in this country up to 2009, when the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform was established, land reform had two pillars. They were land reform and land restitution through land claims. The result was that we focused on the restitution of 30% of the land by 2014.
In the process of land restitution we did not pay attention to land development, the third of the four pillars. That, Deputy Speaker, created an imbalance and slowed the process. As a result of the leadership of President J G Zuma, who is present in the House today, we have today what is called the Recapitalisation and Development Programme.
Again under the leadership of Nxamalala, President Jacob Zuma, attention has been paid to land tenure so that we can find a way of giving black people access to land. That is why under his leadership we have finalised what is called the four-tier land tenure system, which applies to four types of land.
The first tier relates to state land, which we should not sell but lease out to our people and help them to use it for production purposes. The second one applies to land in private hands, which should be evenly distributed so that there are no big landowners and small landowners, with the difference in amount of land owned captured in the isiXhosa nursery rhyme that goes "Oohili bangaka, izigebenga zingaka! There should be equality in terms of landownership. This means that with regard to landownership, there will be a ceiling so as to stop people from becoming self-serving land barons.
There are people with small, medium and big farms, but all these people are involved in commercial activities. Therefore, we should take all these matters into consideration - some farms are small; earth types differ; weather conditions in the Northern Cape, the southern Cape and KwaZulu- Natal differ and; commercial products differ - when dealing with the issue of putting a ceiling on landownership.
Foreigners must not own land in this country, they should be leaseholders. Fourthly, we realise that the number of people who are given land in areas controlled by chiefs has increased. There are also people who live on land controlled by the CPA and trusts and on land controlled by chiefs. We should make sure that the people who live on such land are people who have the right to use it and find a way to secure this right.
We have to find a way to make sure that such people are able to use such land productively; are able to use it as collateral when approaching banks for loans; are able to secure the land as inheritance for their children when parents have passed on.
Therefore, the President has provided leadership in making sure that people do access land in this, their country.]
Farms transferred to black people and communities through the various redistribution programmes from 1994 up to 31 January 2013 amounted to 4 813 farms, which translates to 4,123 million ha, benefiting 230 886 persons, of whom 50 440 are women - accounting for 1,7 million ha in the hands of those women - of whom 32 563 are young people, and of whom 674 are persons with disabilities.
To acquire this land, the state spent R12,9 billion. Of the 4,123 million ha acquired, the government has, since 2010, recapitalised 696 farms into full operation, employing 4 982 permanent workers, and investing R1,8 billion in infrastructure, inputs and strategic support. Of the 696 recapitalised farms, 332 are on cropping and 364 on livestock. The gross income generated by these farms, which can be accounted for as of 31 January 2013 is R126 million.
Land acquired by the state for the restitution of land rights since the inception of the programme amounts to 4 001 land parcels - that is properties - translating into 1,443 million ha. Of these beneficiaries, 136 968, which are female-headed households, and 672, which are persons with disabilities have benefited. A total of R16 billion has been spent on the programme thus far. This went towards settling 77 148 claims, spending R10 billion on land acquisition, and R6 billion on 71 292 financial compensation claims.
The total of 5 856 settled claims, translating into 1,443 million ha, is land restored. Hon members can already see the difference between 5 856 and 71 292 claims that are for financial compensation, that claims are weighted in favour of financial compensation. This clearly shows that claimants have chosen financial compensation over land restoration. This is a reflection of poverty, unemployment and income want. In your state of the nation address, Mr President, you clearly stated these as being at the centre of the National Development Plan's transformation focus.
Taking into consideration the above analysis, it is clear that through the restitution process, the state was a compelled buyer. Prices in restitution were far higher than those paid in terms of strategic land acquisitions under the redistribution programme. This is a clear indication that where the state is able to strategically acquire land, it is able to acquire more land for less money, as the state is not a compelled buyer. Even by our own admission, we could have bought more, if the principle of a just and equitable redistribution was actively applied. [Applause.] You mentioned this to be the direction that government is going to follow this year, Mr President.
In terms of the new land tenure system for the country, we are introducing the four-tier land tenure system, which I spoke about earlier. The President, during the state of the nation address, announced the reopening of the lodgement of land claims, for those who could not claim during the first window of opportunity.
Ubalulekile lo mbandela kuba uMongameli uthi kuza kuphinda kuvulwe ithuba lokuba abantu bakuthi babange imihlaba, kubantu abaphoswa lithuba lokufaka amabango emihlaba. Loo nto iza kwenzeka kulo nyaka. Esi saziso sikaMongameli sineendidi ezimbini. Eyokuqala yeyo kuvula, khange kubekho nalinye ilungu kwanga angasekhohlo ebelikhe lawuphendula lo mcimbi, ndiyabona ukuba ushushu. Bayawoyika lo mcimbi wokuvulwa kwamabango emihlaba kuba ngumcimbi onzima.
Eyesibini ithi kuza kukhangelwa inyoba yokuba njengokuba uMthetho wezemiHlaba yabaNtsundu we-1913, Natives Land Act, inguye nje iphahla, uza kuhlala kuba uMgaqo-siseko umile uyalawula. Ithi le nto kodwa, kukhona iiHertage Sites, kukhona iiHistorical Landmarks, kaloku iimfazwe zange ziliwe kwi-13% womhlaba, zilwelwe kuma-87% womhlaba. Kulapho zikhoyo iilandmarks zembali yabantu beli lizwe.
Okokugqibela uthi uMongameli, kukho abantu abanga maKhoi namaSan abalahlekelwa ngumhlaba kudala, phambi kwe-1913, baza kunikwa inyoba nabo bakrobe ukuba zeziphi na iindawo ezinokubuyiselwa kubo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[It is important to note what the President has said, that the lodgement of land claims will be reopened for the people who missed out on the first window of opportunity. The President's announcement has two parts. Concerning the first part, that is the reopening of the lodgement of land claims, not even one member on my left responded to it. I think it is too hot for them to handle. They are scared to respond because it is an emotive issue.
The second part is that in spite of the Natives Land Act, the principal Act, the Constitution reigns supreme. We have heritage sites and historical landmarks, but remember that the wars were not fought on 13%, but on 87% of South Africa's land. That is where the historical landmarks of this country are.
Finally, the President has also announced that the Khoi and San people, who lost their land long before 1913, will also be given an opportunity to make land claims. [Applause.]]
Of the many dire socioeconomic consequences of the Natives Land Act, the following stand out: firstly, it destroyed a fledging class of African farmers; secondly, it destroyed the environment; and, thirdly, it placed black people, particularly Africans, in a situation of abject and grinding poverty.
Therefore, to reverse this legacy means rebuilding the class of black farmers, rebuilding the environment, and deepening production discipline for food security and sovereignty. The reopening of the lodgement process and the exceptions to the 1913 Natives Land Act will require massive preparatory work, which has commenced in earnest. Unlike in the first opportunity, people will be assisted with a manual on land claims in all 11 official languages, a manual that participants at the first preparatory workshop called the citizens' manual for land claims. Another component or element of the campaign is oral history, which will be collected from those who have lived through the catastrophic effects of the 1913 Natives Land Act.
The 11 740-strong National Rural Youth Service Corps, Narysec, youth that the President referred to in his state of the nation address, will be distributing the citizens' manual and collecting the oral history. Furthermore, there are institutions that and persons who have already come forward to be part of this campaign, including the SABC, Iziko Museums, Unisa, the National Heritage Council, the Departments of Justice and Constitutional Development, Public Works, Arts and Culture, and the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities.
There is a perception that land reform has failed, especially by the opposition DA. Our contention is that it has been slow, not failed. [Interjections.] We have completed the state and private land audit. [Interjections.] Here are the results, a beautiful ... you can see it here.
Oohili bangaka! Izigebenga zingaka! [An isiXhosa nursery rhyme small and big.]
You can see the brown. It represents privately owned land and who owns it. The majority of the people who own it are white. [Applause.] You can see the Northern Cape is privately owned land. Here is the Northern Cape. Look at the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Limpopo, and Free State. [Interjections.] The majority of this land is owned privately by whites. [Applause.] Therefore, our contention is that it has been slow, but it did not fail.