Question NW3061 to the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform
30 October 2017 - NW3061
McLoughlin, Mr AR to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform
With reference to the under expenditure of R759,7 million in respect of his department’s Programme 4 in the first quarter of the 2017-18 financial year, why have no appropriate and effective steps been implemented by his department to ensure that its target setting and budget forecasting are in alignment with each other, given that his department must be aware of the lengthy verification process involved in the establishment of who the rightful owners of land are; (2) what steps, if any, have been put in place to streamline the process to ensure that prospective claimants are not left waiting needlessly when a budget for the settling of claimant’s claims is available but unspent; (3) what (a) percentage of the lengthy verification process of establishing who the rightful owners of the land are is caused by the lack of urgency, capacity or application on the part of his department’s staff and (b) steps are in place to eradicate such unnecessary delays?
Reply:
1. With the implementation of the new BAS version delays in the processing of payments were experienced. All entities not registered on the National Treasury central database system were not converted to the new BAS version. Suppliers and claimants had to resubmit their banking details in order to process payments. These issues have been resolved and payments are now flowing.
2. Monthly review of expenditure and projections are in place to ensure a streamlined process. Regular meetings with provincial offices to determine the status of projects and the settlement of claims are in place.
3. (a) The Restitution Business is broad and labour intensive. The verification process requires extensive consultation with claimants who at times leave in different areas far apart from each other. Households have also multiplied since the time of dispossession and the verification has to be done in collaboration and in agreement with the community representatives. This process is also intended to prevent fraud in the process.
(b) The Commission is also engaged through a process of review of its business processes with the intent to find more efficient and effective ways to settle claims.