IMC on Land Reform meets

Deputy President David Mabuza, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform, has convened a meeting of the IMC.

This was hot on the heels of the successful land and title deeds handover to the Covie community in the Western Cape on 30 April 2020.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Presidency said the meeting received a report on the status of land that is under the jurisdiction of state-owned enterprises, as well as plans for the usage of the land for spatial integration.

“The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure as well as the Department of Public Enterprises will jointly audit the land under state-owned enterprises to determine what is to be released for redistribution in the short, medium and long term,” reads the statement.

Furthermore, the meeting noted consultations by government with various stakeholders of the Land Administration and Tenure Reform intended to initiate a process of transferring communal land to persons or communities whose tenure of land is not legally secured, as approved by Cabinet.

“To this end, consultations with the National House of Traditional Leaders, Contralesa and the National Khoisan Council are ongoing,” the Presidency said.

During the meeting, the IMC was also updated on progress in the implementation of the National Spatial Development Framework in guiding land redistribution and development towards spatial transformation, consolidation and integration.

“In particular, the meeting was apprised on ruralisation and the need for decisive and sustainable rural development and agrarian reform. The meeting was encouraged by the ongoing work in eliminating legacy imbalances in housing distribution and building of inclusive residential markets as well as ensuring service delivery in an integrated residential landscape,” reads the statement.

The Presidency added that the emphasis was spatially transforming and consolidating settlement development in new and existing areas and to continue to use the delivery of housing for a broad range of housing typologies within integrated mixed-use developments and multiple tenure options.

Additionally, the IMC was appraised on the ongoing consultations in regards to the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution.