Land should be given back to its rightful owners following the legislative frameworks, if those frameworks do not assist, they need to be reviewed, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform Ms Phumuzile Ngwenya-Mabila, told Members of the National Assembly (NA) during the Budget Vote debate of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform at Parliament today.
Ms Ngwenya-Mabila said the restitution process is slow as some of the claims that were lodged by 31 December 1998 are still not researched due to capacity constraints. “The plan of the commission to fast-track the research of the claims lodged by the 31 of December 1998 is mostly welcomed as research is the most important component of the lodgement process – as it indicates whether the claim lodged is valid or not,” said Ms Ngwenya-Mabila
She said as the Committee, they will monitor whether the 916 outstanding unresearched claims are finalised by the end of the first quarter in this financial year. Ms Ngwenya-Mabila said some of the reasons for the delays include conflicts amongst claimants, high land prices charged by land owners and long time taken to conduct research. She said the Committee appreciates the work done by the Commission to trace the claimants who have not come forth for their financial compensation
“The Commission must continue to trace the outstanding claimants who have not come forward for their compensation, to ensure that all the claimants entitled for financial compensation receive what is due to them,” she said.
In supporting the 2017/18 Budget Vote of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform of R10.184bn, Ms Ngwenya-Mabila assured NA MPs that her Committee will intensify its oversight responsibilities to ensure that no fruitless expenditure, wasteful or irregular expenditure will be tolerated – and no fiscal dumping will be permitted.
Although the National Freedom Party (NFP) supported the Budget Vote of the department but it highlighted some concerns. Those concerns included the lack of visible and substantive rural development.
According to Mr Nhlanhlakayise Khubisa who spoke on behalf of the NFP, the lack of development results in increased urbanisation and rapid urbanisation has “a knock-on effect of mushrooming informal settlements, increased poverty, service delivery protests and a rise in other associated social ills”.
In presenting the Budget Vote debate of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Mr Gugile Nkwinti told NA MPs that the Land Commission is going to be transformed into a Chapter 9 institution. He said the department wants to ensure that the Valuer-General is independent.
Mr Nkwinti told the NA MPs that there is no willing buyer, willing seller policy envisaged in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. “There is nothing like that in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. There is no willing buyer, willing seller policy,” stressed Mr Nkwinti.
By Mava Lukani
19 May 2017
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