21 November 2006
After several consultations with Senior Management of the Department of Land
Affairs to review progress in the implementation of key programmes and to chart
a way forward, a number of issues came out as challenges in the implementation
of the land reform and restitution programmes. These challenges include among
others, management and administration of state land and leases, land audits and
human resource management.
The consultation process also revealed that the capacity constraints,
affecting the ability to deliver, the lack of personnel to manage leases and
plan at provincial level were raised with the management of the Department.
Only about a third of state land has been audited to date. Currently there are
about 1 000 vacancies in the Department that need to be filled. Challenges in
the Deeds Office, which we are currently addressing, including an intervention
to stop a possible strike action, demonstrate the nature of the challenge that
the department faces.
On the basis of ongoing concerns about lack of service delivery in the
department, I have reached a conclusion that there are leadership and
management challenges in the department that have led to these problems. In an
effort to intervene and ensure speedy service delivery by the department, I
have asked the Public Service Commission to investigate and assess areas that
required intervention to speed up delivery, and report back on what can be done
to correct these challenges.
On the basis of a report by the Public Service Commission, we will determine
the necessary interventions to ensure that the department fulfils its
mandate.
Enquiries:
Saki Zamxaka
Tel: (012) 319 7886
Cell: 082 771 6767
E-mail: SakhumziZ@nda.agric.za
Issued by: Ministry for Agriculture and Land Affairs
21 November 2006
