Parliament, Wednesday, 18 April 2018 – The Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform today received briefings from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, North West Province, the Auditor General of South Africa, and the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB).
The absence of the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform at this meeting was noted and the committee will be writing to her to avail herself at the next meeting.
At a meeting last month, the Ingonyama Trust Board was instructed by the committee to halt the process of converting Permission to Occupy certificates on Ingonyama Trust land to long term leases. The conversion from PTO to long term leases reduces the tenure rights of people living on Ingonyama Trust land to tenants, where they will have to pay rent. Members of the Committee pleaded with the ITB to stop this conversion as the people will never be land owners but tenants.
The Auditor General reported on two findings which were contained in the previous year audit report. One being that the royalties received from mining operators and other institutions were incorrectly recognised as revenue by the Trust. The Trust needs to make arrangements to pay over the monies to the National Revenue Fund.
The other finding is that the Ingonyama Trust and Ingonyama Trust Board are two separate entities. This situation has not yet been resolved and therefore will be audited separately.
The Acting Chairperson of the Committee, Mr Pumzile Mnguni advised the ITB to relook at their Annual Performance Plan (APP) and to focus on the information flow. The ITB is to resubmit their APP to the Committee.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE ACTING CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM, MR PUMZILE NGUNI.
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Name: Sureshinee Govender
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 2239
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E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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