The national question on the effectiveness of the land reform policy by government was today under question as the province of the Free State hosted its consultative African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Summit.
The country acceded to the APRM instrument in March 2003 thereby voluntarily subjecting ourselves to a review by our peers in the areas of democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance as well as socio-economic development.
As part of strengthening the APRM processes, the national focal point and Minister for the Public Service and Administration Mr Richard Baloyi undertook to convene provincial consultative conferences to input to the progress report to stakeholders on the implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA).
The discussions of the day indicate that there has been a rigorous implementation of the peer review in the Free State. Presenting an overview of the Free State chapter of the programme, the Director-General for the province, Dr MC Nwaila shared the challenges and successes.
In responding to provincial progress and developments on the key thematic areas, Dr Nwaila indicated that the province was the first in the country to have secure care facilities for children in conflict with the law. “We have also introduced the multi-disciplinary victim empowerment programme targeting victims of sexual and domestic violence as well as developed a province wide anti-corruption strategy as part of the process to root-out corruption.”
“All municipalities in the province have developed their turn-around strategies aimed at restoring “people’s confidence in municipalities’ ability to deliver services as part of a developmental state approach. The turn-around strategies also intends strengthening the local government sphere in order to enable a “functional, responsive, accountable, effective and efficient developmental local government,” Dr Nwaila added.
Presenting an opinion piece on the land reform question in the Free State, Member of Parliament and Contralesa President Chief Phathekile Holomisa made an assessment on the progress made in the province since 1994 within the context of the status quo in the country as a whole.
“Some of the achievements recorded in the Free State include the strengthening of the relationship with the executive committee of the House of Traditional Leaders in the province to expedite conflicts and confusion pertaining to traditional leadership; the relationships built between the Regional Land Claims Commission with key stakeholders such as relevant departments, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and the Free State Rural Development Association to provide support for the sustainability of projects and the communication strategies have achieved success through the Siz’obathola Campaign by tracing 90 percent of untraceable claimants,” Chief Holomisa indicated.
Chief Holomisa made an observation that there has been improvement in the pace of land delivery for previously disadvantaged South Africans from 1994 though government was still too far from meeting its target for redistributing 30 percent of white-owned agriculture land by 2014.
Based on the findings of this study, Chief Holomisa called for government to consider suggestions made that there is a need not only to look at the suitability of the 1913 cut-off date for restitution of land rights, but also at the justness of the 1998 cut-off date by which land rights restitution claims must be lodged. “These considerations must be weighed against the need for bringing about certainty and finality on land ownership patterns as we seek, to promote investor confidence and development,” Chief Holomisa added.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister for Public Service and Administration Richard Baloyi highlighted the nine cross-cutting issues emanating from our country review report that South Africa needs to strengthen on. These challenges include service delivery blockages, poverty and inequality, unemployment, violence against women and children, racism, crime, corruption, HIV and AIDS and the issue of land reform.
“On the matter of land reform, government acknowledges that there can be no real freedom unless people have access to land. Our people cannot go hungry while the land remains unused and unproductive. We are also mindful as government of what is happening across our borders, as far as land restitution is concerned. It is our wish that South Africa never has to experience such occurrences. However, resolving this national question will require all parties to come to the fore,” Minister Baloyi added.
Informed by the findings at the nine provincial consultative conferences, South Africa is expected to present its second progress report on the implementation of the PoA at the African Union Summit of Heads of States and Government of APRM participating countries in July 2010.
For more information contact:
Lebohang Mafokosi
Tel: 012 336 1017
Cell: 082 312 4641
Issued by: Department of Public Service and Administration
22 April 2010
