The Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Mr Gugile Nkwinti says land is a fundamental asset to change the lives of people for the better. The minister made these remarks during his keynote address at the start of a two day Conference on the proposed Communal Land Tenure Bill and the Communal Property Associations Amendment Bill (Including Trusts and Traditional Councils) at The Lakes Hotel, in Boksburg today.
Addressing delegates which include traditional leaders, members of Trusts and Traditional Councils, the Minister reminded the gathering that the land question was a fundamental cause of liberation struggles over the years. He added that the proposed legislation seeks to facilitate what should be done in rural areas to improve the lives of people, whom he said cannot go to bed hungry when there is land in abundance.
Minister Nkwinti, said government has realised that communities do not always have the necessary tools to deal with challenges they are facing regarding their land. We want to train you, so that you know how to overcome the challenges you are facing, the minister added.
Our people have suffered so much during apartheid therefore they should not suffer in this democratic government, these laws will open doors for you, they will change your lives for the better, he concluded.
Delegates at the conference will deliberate on the Communal Land Tenure policy which will in turn inform the proposed Communal Land Tenure Bill. The Bill among others seeks to confirm the land rights within communities and or households, and to support the development and institutionalization of community land-governance rules.
The Policy’s provisions concerning the regulation, management and administration of communal land are grounded in a set of principles that guide the implementation of the proposed intervention. These include equitable land access, food security, democratic and accountable land governance, the empowerment of people, promoting of collective ownership, economic growth, poverty eradication, investment and development in communal areas.
The Communal Property Associations Amendment Bill which is to be tabled before parliament later this year seeks to address the governance, accountability and other challenges facing Communal Property Associations (CPA). CPA’s have been plagued by numerous challenges and infighting among members which have led to the collapse of farms and farming enterprises where land had been restored to communities.
The minister urged traditional councils, trusts and structures CPA’s must account to the communities.
The conference will be divided into commissions which will deliberate on five thematic areas:
Objective and principals of communal land tenure bill,
conferral of land rights (Conversion, transfer, and registration),
institutional roles and role relationships,
communal land management,
and award of comparable redress.
Source: Government of South Africa