Hansard: NCOP: Consideration of Report of Joint Rules Committee – Policy for Attendance of Members of Parliament during Plenary and Meeting of Parliamentary Committees and Forums

House: National Council of Provinces

Date of Meeting: 08 Jul 2014

Summary

No summary available.


Minutes

TUESDAY, 8 JULY 2014

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

[UNREVISED HANSARD]

Page 1

TUESDAY, 8 JULY 2014

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

_____________________________

The Council met at 14:03.

The House Chairperson: Committees took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

NOTICES OF MOTION

START OF DAY

NOTICES OF MOTION

Mr S G MTHIMUNYE: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move:

That the Council-

(1) notes that the MyCiTi bus service that was implemented fully by the City of Cape Town in the affluent areas of Milnerton and Table View some years ago, will only now be rolled out to the Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain areas after endless delays by the DA-controlled City of Cape Town, but with a substandard and incomplete infrastructure, temporary bus stops, shortages of buses and the like;

(2) further notes the inequality of services between the affluent areas of the City of Cape Town and the poor communities of the Cape Flats is indicative of the extent to which the City of Cape Town discriminates against poor communities; and

(3) calls on the DA and the City of Cape Town to stop rendering services of an inferior standard to poor areas and to fast-track the full and proper implementation of bus services to these areas, in particular the installation of a proper infrastructure of a similar standard to that in affluent areas.

Mr C F SMIT

Mr S G MTHIMUNYE

Mr C F SMIT: Hon Chairperson, on behalf of the DA, I hereby wish to give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move:

That the Council-

(1) notes that the Makgoba Tea Estate, formerly known as Sapekoe Tea Estate, in Magoebaskloof in Limpopo is on the brink of collapse;

(2) further notes that Sapekoe Tea Estate was bought for an amount of R104 million in 2006 as part of the land reform programme;

(3) notes further that an additional amount of R76 million was invested to recapitalise the project;

(4) mandates the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to:

(a) conduct an urgent oversight visit to Makgoba Tea Estate;

(b) compile a report of other land reform projects in Limpopo;

(c) indicate how much was invested to revitalise the projects;

(d) report on the success rate of the recapitalisations;

(e) give reasons for failures;

(f) establish why the Expanded Public Works Project was implemented in the Makgoba Tea Estate; and

(g) state what the financial implications were in this regard.

Ms E C VAN LINGEN

Mr C F SMIT

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Hon Chairperson, on behalf of the DA, I hereby wish to give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move:

That the Council-

(1) notes that the Chairperson of the NCOP has neglected her farming activities and responsibilities in terms of her piggery, where as many as 58 pigs plus several chickens, geese and goats died of hunger and thirst, while others had been put down due to lack of food and water on her farm Modderfontein outside Potchefstroom in the North West province;

(2) further notes that in terms of the Animal Protection Act, the hon Modise has allegedly violated sections 1(b), 1(c) and 1(e) of the Act due to a lack of feeding and due to exposing the animals to unnecessary suffering ...

Ms T K MAMPURU: Chair, I am rising on a point of order on the motion made by the hon Van Lingen because the matter is before a court of law. Thank you.

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Chairperson, may I please say something about that. The SPCA has not laid charges against the hon Modise. They are still busy ... [Interjections.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Are you responding to the point of order?

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Yes, I am just trying to help you out. I would not have raised this motion if I wasn't certain that it would be a motion.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon Van Lingen, what we will do is ascertain whether the matter is before the court or not. If the matter is before the court, then it shall not be proceeded with.

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Chairperson, may I ask a question for clarity please? Could my motion then be tabled as is, because I am calling on this House to mandate the committee on agriculture to do an investigation into this matter.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON: COMMITTEES (Mr A J Nyambi): I have addressed that. I am saying ... [Interjections.]

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Until you have ruled.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Yes, I have made a ruling that I will ascertain whether the matter is before court or not, and then we will take it from there.

Let's go on to motions without notice. Does any member wish to move a motion without notice? Hon Mampuru?

Ms T K MAMPURU: I wanted to say, when I came in – maybe you did not recognise me – that I still had a motion of notice, if I may be afforded that opportunity.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): We are now doing motions without notice.

Ms T K MAMPURU: I had a notice of a motion. When I came in I raised my hand in order to be recognised – maybe you didn't recognise me. Are we doing notices of motion?

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): We are done with them.

//NPM//LIM CHECKED//

END OF TAKE

MOTIONS_WITHOUT_NOTICE: Mr D STOCK

NOTICES OF MOTION: Ms E C VAN LINGEN

NEWLY BUILT RDP HOUSES IN CHATTY, PORT ELIZABETH, VANDALISED BY BENEFICIARIES

(Draft Resolution)

Mr D STOCK: Hon Chair, I hereby move without notice:

That the Council-

(1)notes with concern that beneficiaries of newly built RDP houses in Chatty in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, recently vandalised some of the houses due to them as they have been angered by delays in the handling of the houses;

(2)condemns the actions and behaviour of these beneficiaries, but remains acutely aware of the urgent need of the poor for housing throughout the country and acknowledges the right of communities, including these beneficiaries, to be consulted and kept fully informed at all times of the relevant processes and progress on a regular basis;

(3)calls on the beneficiaries of these houses to remain calm and patient and also calls on the provincial department of human settlements to speed up the process of handing over the houses to the beneficiaries; and

(4)further calls on all municipalities, housing authorities and other role-players to ensure that communities are regularly consulted on their housing needs and plans in that regard.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

Ms M C DIKGALE

Mr D STOCK

ALARMING RATE OF INCIDENTS OF RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN SOUTH AFRICA

(Draft Resolution)

Ms M C DIKGALE: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:

That the Council-

(1)notes with concern the alarming rate of incidents of rape and sexual abuse of women and children in South Africa;

(2)also notes that these barbaric crimes can only be successfully addressed if perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted through partnerships with government, the police and other law enforcement agencies, as well as the National Prosecuting Authority, other role-players and in particular committees and the victims;

(3)further notes that, in this regard, a 20-year-old man recently appeared in periodic court in the Eastern Cape for the alleged rape of a 59-year-old woman in Mthembu near Mthatha after he was arrested by the police with the assistance of the community;

(4)commends the community of Mthembu on their commitment and assistance to the police; and

(5)calls on all communities countrywide to be the eyes and the ears of the police and the relevant authorities to ensure that perpetrators of these horrific and barbaric crimes are arrested and successfully prosecuted.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

Mr H B GROENEWALD

Ms M C DIKGALE

MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE TO FAMILY OF PROF RUSSEL BOTMAN

(Draft Resolution)

Mr H B GROENEWALD: Hon House Chairperson, on behalf of the DA, I hereby wish to move without notice:

That the Council-

(1)sends its condolences to the family of Prof Russel Botman, the first black vice chancellor of Stellenbosch University;

(2)notes that the Prof Botman was born in Bloemfontein on 18 October 1953, attended Kliptown Senior Secondary School in Johannesburg before enrolling at the University of the Western Cape, where he was the public relations officer of the student representative council during the 1976 student uprising;

(3)further notes that he edited a number of books and papers and was detained under the state of emergency provisions of 1985 and 1986 after he helped to draft the Confession of Belhar, which labelled apartheid a sin and a heresy; and

(4)also notes that Prof Russel Botman died at the age of 60 after suffering a heart attack and is survived by his wife and four children.

May his soul rest in peace.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

Ms L L ZWANE

Mr H B GROENEWALD

YOUNG DANCERS FROM DISADVANTAGED HOMES TO ATTEND DANCE SUMMER SCHOOL IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

(Draft Resolution)

Ms L L ZWANE: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:

That the Council-

(1)notes that nine young dancers from disadvantaged homes in Cape Town are on the verge of realising their dreams by attending a dance summer school in Edinburgh, Scotland, later this month where they will, among others things, receive training in ballet, jazz, contemporary and folk dancing and the like;

(2)also notes that these young dancers are part of an outreach dance programme of the To The Pointe School of Ballet of Karen Butler who is currently raising funds to make this dream become true;

(3)further notes that Karen Butler has taken these children under her auspices to protect them from the negative influences of drug abuse, alcoholism and gangsterism, that typify their home environment, and to give them a bigger goal and to open their eyes to the world of opportunities outside their desperate circumstances;

(4)commends Karen Butler and her school of ballet on her very noble initiative to foster these children and to give them hope and meaning in life; and

(5)calls on the provincial department of social services and the City of Cape Town to support this initiative and to provide any shortfall in funding needed to make this dream come true.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

Mr B G NTHEBE

Ms L L ZWANE

INNOVATIVE NORTH WEST MINE WORKER STARTS VEGETABLE GARDEN

(Draft Resolution)

Mr B G NTHEBE: Chair, I hereby move without notice:

That the Council-

(1)notes the innovative initiative of a mine worker in the North West province, Mr Mxolisi Khuleka, who, affected by the recent strike in the platinum sector, started a vegetable garden in his yard that became the main source of food for him and his neighbours during the five-month strike;

(2)also notes that, although he had no running water in his yard, he relied on the neighbours with taps in their yards for water;

(3)further notes that he unknowingly started a potentially profitable business at the time and that he now intends to install a tap in his yard to grow his garden and sell the vegetables to his community;

(4)commends Mr Khuleka on his innovativeness and entrepreneurship; and

(5)calls on households throughout the country, especially in poor communities, to follow similar and other initiatives in order to sustain themselves.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

Mr A S SINGH

Mr B G NTHEBE

eTHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY NAMED WINNER OF 2014 INTERNATIONAL STOCKHOLM INDUSTRY WATER AWARD

(Draft Resolution)

Mr A S SINGH: Hon Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:

That the Council-

(1)notes that the eThekwini Municipality in Durban was recently named the winner of the 2014 International Stockholm Industry Water Award in Dakar for being the most progressive water utility in Africa and was lauded for its methods and achievements and for being a sterling example to many communities worldwide facing similar challenges;

(2)also notes that the Stockholm Industry Water Award was established in 2000 to acknowledge and stimulate outstanding and transformative water achievements by companies and authorities in improving production, managing risks, finding solutions and contributing to wise water management;

(3)further notes that the eThekwini Water and Sanitation Unit manages the water and sanitation services for 3,5 million people living in the Durban area and has connected 1,3 million additional people in greater Durban to piped water over the past 14 years, while 700 000 people have been provided with access to proper toilets; and

(4)commends the eThekwini Municipality on its commitment in this regard and also congratulates it on achieving this prestigious award.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

Mr J W W JULIUS

Mr A S SINGH

DISSATISFACTION WITH ESTABLISHMENT OF e-TOLLS IN GAUTENG

(Draft Resolution)

Mr J W W JULIUS: Hon Chairperson, on behalf of the DA, I hereby wish to move without notice:

That the Council-

(1)notes that after establishing that the people of Gauteng are dissatisfied with e-tolls in Gauteng, the Premier of Gauteng, the honourable David Makhura, set up a panel to look into the impact of e-tolls in Gauteng; and

(2)further notes that the DA caucus in the Gauteng legislature supports the Gauteng premier in his quest to investigate the impact of e-tolls in Gauteng.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

/MALUTA//nvs

END OF TAKE

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL

MOTION WITHOUT NOTICE: Mr J W W JULIUS

AMENDMENT OF MOTION REGARDING DESIGNATION OF MEMBERS TO PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT

(Draft Resolution)

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Chairperson, I move the draft resolution printed in my name on the Order Paper, as follows:

That the Council amend the motion regarding the designation of members to the Pan-African Parliament adopted by the House on 24 July 2014 ...

- I'm looking at "24 July 2014". The date is what I am not comfortable with because 24 July is still to come -

... by replacing Mr Nqabayomzi Lawrence Saziso Kwankwa with Mr Nyiko Floyd Shivambu.

I would have thought instead of "Mr", we would say "hon".

Question put: That the motion be agreed to.

Ms C LABUSCHAGNE: Chairperson, may I propose an amendment to the date, as indicated by the Chief Whip – because the date indicated in the motion is 24 July – before we adopt the motion? Thank you.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Yes, it should read 24 June. Is that agreed to?

HON MEMBERS: Agreed!

That the Council amend the motion regarding the designation of members to the Pan-African Parliament adopted by the House on 24 June 2014 by replacing Mr Nqabayomzi Lawrence Saziso Kwankwa with Mr Nyiko Floyd Shivambu.

IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.

Motion accordingly agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi)

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL

ELECTION OF SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

The House Chairperson: Committees announced the appointment of Adv M E Phindela as Returning Officer, and as Assistant Returning Officers, Adv B N Nonyane, Ms V Mnana, Ms S Bowers, Ms S Ally and Mr M K Skolo, and Mr M Mbebe, further that the oath or affirmation was administered to the Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officers as required by the Rules.

He reminded the delegates that nominations had to be submitted in the prescribed form and duly seconded.

He further informed members that in terms of item 4 of Part A of Schedule 3 to the Constitution no debate would be allowed.

The House Chairperson: Committees called for nominations.

Ms C Labuschagne, seconded by Mr E J Von Brandis, nominated Mrs Otta Helene Maree, née Zille, Premier of the Western Cape, for election as a second Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

The Returning Officer reported to the House Chairperson: Committees that the nomination paper had been properly completed.

There being no further nominations, the House Chairperson: Committees declared Mrs Otta Helene Maree, née Zille, properly elected as a second Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): On behalf of all present here, I congratulate you on being elected as the second Deputy Chairperson of the National of Provinces. [Applause.] I would call upon the second Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP to say a few words.

The SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mrs O H Zille)

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi)

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

The SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mrs O H Zille): Must I do it from here, House Chairperson?

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): It is your opportunity.

The SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mrs O H Zille): Mr House Chairperson, I think that the entire House must have been very relieved when they thought that Helen Zille was not being nominated, but unfortunately she was, and I am deeply honoured to be able to take up this position. [Laughter.] Do I have to stand? Sorry.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Sorry, hon Zille, could you please use the podium?

The SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mrs O H Zille): I would love to use the podium, but my light went on there, so I thought that was the cue for me to use the seat microphone. Thank you very much, indeed. It is a great honour for me to accept this rotating Deputy Chairpersonship. It is very good to have a surname that legally begins with "Ma" because, as all of you will already know, except for the hon Lucas, every single premier name starts with an "Ma" in the country. That is a very good thing, so I fit right into the group.

We have a very important role to play in this House. This role is not a rubber-stamped role; it is a role to very clearly represent the interests of our provinces. The Constitution-makers, in their wisdom, set out many checks and balances to counter potential power abuse. They understood that South Africa is a very diverse society with a lot of interests that differ from each other, that boundaries are in many respects arbitrary, but people have common interests and, indeed, that those interests need to be expressed fairly and openly in a democratic system, so that we can resolve issues through peaceful constitutional means and not through violence.

That is why we take the role of the National Council of Provinces very seriously indeed, and that is why it is my great honour to have been elected to this position. I hope that I won't disappoint any of you. Thank you. [Applause.]

/Mia

END OF TAKE

Mr M RAYI

The SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mrs O H Zille)

CONGRATULATIONS TO SECOND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

Mr M RAYI: Hon Chair, I also take this opportunity to congratulate, as you did, the Western Cape on the responsibility it has been given, particularly Premier Maree, usually known as Premier Zille. It is indeed an honour for the legislature, and we trust that she will indeed, as she has undertaken here, not fail us because of the importance of this House in the necessary transformation that our country has to undergo and continues to undergo. Again, we take the time to wish her well in her efforts. Thank you very much.

Ms M F TLAKE

Mr M RAYI

Ms M F TLAKE: Chairperson, the Free State congratulates Ms Zille on her appointment. We hope that we are going to work together in the interests of taking South Africa forward, more especially those people in the rural areas of our provinces. Thank you.

Ms B S MASANGO

Ms M F TLAKE

Ms B S MASANGO: Hon Chairperson, on behalf of the Premier of Gauteng, Mr David Makhura, we would like to extend our congratulations to the Premier of the Western Cape, Ms Zille, and, indeed, as Gauteng we also want to commit to working together with the rotating Deputy Chairperson. We will make a meaningful contribution. We will not, and have never, resolve our differences through violence because we have never done that in the past. We will always resolve issues through consensus or through votes. Thank you very much. We wish you well.

Mr L P M NZIMANDE

Ms B S MASANGO

Mnu L P M NZIMANDE: Ngiyabonga Sihlalo woMkhandlu kaZwelonke weziFundazwe ngokumela uNdunankulu wesiFundazwe saKwaZulu-Natali uMacingwane. Sihalalisela uNdunankulu wesiFundazwe saseNtshonakoloni ngokukhethwa kwakhe. Siyethemba ukuthi kuzosiza ukuqinisa ukusebenza kwesikhungo salo Mkhandlu nokwenza umsebenzi wokumela izimfuno zezifundazwe zonke kuvelele ngendlela efanele nobambiswano luzoba khona ukuze simele abantu bezifundazwe zethu ngendlela okuyiyonayona. Siyamhalalisela nokukhethwa kwakhe.

Ms T K MAMPURU

Mr L P M NZIMANDE

Ms T K MAMPURU: Chairperson, on behalf of the Premier of Limpopo, the hon Chupu Stanly Mathabatha, we congratulate the hon Zille on her election to the position of second Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

Sepedi:

Mopedi o re: "Kgoši e a tswalwa, moetapele o a kgethwa." O amogetšwe. Re a leboga.

Mr S G MTHIMUNYE

Ms T K MAMPURU

IsiNdebele

Nom S G MTHIMUNYE: Sihlalo ohloniphekileko, egameni lakaNdunakulu weMpumalanga ubaba u D D Mabuza, siyamthokozisa uMma u-Zille ngokukhethwa kwakhe njengoSihlalo weNdlu ozombelezako.

English:

The second point I want to make is that I hope she takes this second role as a national leader seriously and becomes a national leader, and leaves the Western Cape to the provincial leadership of the DA.

Mr D STOCK

Mr S G MTHIMUNYE

Mr D STOCK: Chairperson, on behalf of the Premier of the Northern Cape, the hon Sylvia Lukas, we would also like to send our message of congratulations to the newly appointed second Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Mrs Otta Helene Maree, née Zille. We hope that she will utilise her election as Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP to play a very constructive role in the process of taking South Africa forward. With those few words, we would like to congratulate her on her appointment as Deputy Chairperson. Thank you very much, hon Chair.

Mr O SEFAKO

Mr D STOCK

Mr O SEFAKO: Chair, on behalf of the Premier of the North West, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, we would also like to take this opportunity to welcome and congratulate hon Zille on the new appointment. We look forward to working together and ensuring that we push the transitional agenda. Thanks very much.

Ms C LABUSCHAGNE

Mr O SEFAKO

Ms C LABUSCHAGNE: It is an honour and a privilege for me to congratulate you on your election as the second Deputy Chairperson to the NCOP. Knowing your leadership, hon Zille, I know that you will do us proud in this position. [Applause.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Congratulations, Ms Zille.

Mm/ isiNde / azm / GG/ isiZulu

END OF TAKE

SECOND ORDER: The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL

Ms C LABUSCHAGNE

CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF JOINT RULES COMMITTEE – POLICY FOR ATTENDANCE OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT DURING PLENARY AND MEETING OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES AND FORUMS

Order disposed of without debate.

Question put: That the Report be adopted.

IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.

Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

STATEMENT: The MINISTER OF LAND AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi)

STATEMENT IN TERMS OF RULE 251 – MINISTER OF LAND AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: TOGETHER ADDRESSING THE LEGACY OF LAND DISPOSSESSION

The MINISTER OF LAND AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Hon House Chair, this being my first day in the National Council of Provinces since the elections, I wish, firstly, to congratulate all Members of the NCOP on their election to this august body of Parliament. Secondly, I wish, particularly, to congratulate the hon Thandi Modise on her election as Chairperson of the House. Thirdly, I wish to congratulate all House Chairpersons on their election, and also to echo the congratulatory note of my premier to the hon Premier of the Western Cape as well. My premier is the hon Masualle, who is sitting there.

Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Chairpersons, hon members, in the 2013 state of the nation address, the President of the Republic announced that there were proposals to reopen the lodgment of land restitution claims by people who missed the 31 December 1998 deadline, and that government would explore exceptions to the 1913 cut-off date for land claims to accommodate claims by the descendents of the Khoi and the San, and to accommodate heritage sites and historical landmarks. These pronouncements echo clauses 3 and 4 of the Freedom Charter:

The people shall share in the country's wealth!

... The land shall be shared among those who work it!

Furthermore, the resolutions of the 53rd ANC conference in Mangaung in 2012 firmly stated, inter alia, that the reopening of the lodgment date for restitution claims should be undertaken and provision made for exceptions to the cut-off date of 1913 to accommodate the Khoi and the San descendents, heritage sites and historical landmarks.

Land restitution is one of the four pillars of the government's land reform programme, the others being land redistribution, land tenure reform and land development. Under the theme "Reversing the legacy of the 1913 Natives Land Act", we have introduced various policies and legislation to implement the agrarian transformation strategy. We define this to mean rapid and fundamental change in the relations – meaning systems and patterns of ownership and control – of land, livestock, cropping and community. The goal of the strategy is social cohesion and development in terms of relative income equality, shared growth and prosperity, full employment and cultural progress in our country.

In restoring social justice to those communities that were dispossessed of their land through many years of oppressive and discriminatory laws and policies, we have adopted a programmatic, rather than a project, approach. This means that, in line with the Bill of Rights, socioeconomic rights, which include the right to land, will be dealt with in a progressive manner, within the available resources of the state. This approach will ensure that constitutionally entrenched rights will be continually realised, improving the quality of life of our communities, on an ongoing basis.

It is in this context that the President has signed into law the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act, 2014. This Act provides, inter alia, for the reopening of the lodgment of land claims for a period of five years, starting on 1 July 2014 and ending on 30 June 2019. In terms of this Act, deserving persons and communities can claim land taken away from them as a result of past racially discriminatory laws, policies and practices.

Land has the ability to alleviate poverty and is a catalyst for economic growth and development. The provision of redress to deserving claimants will, indeed, restore their dignity, address historical injustices relating to land dispossessions, and assist in the building of a united, equal and inclusive society.

The Act also strengthens the capacity of the Land Claims Court, which adjudicates disputes from the restitution process, by streamlining the appointment, tenure of office, remuneration, and terms and conditions of judges. It also aligns them to those applicable to the High Court of the land.

The reopening of the lodgment of claims will be supported by a comprehensive communications strategy. This is aimed at ensuring that the relevant information is received by all our people. Central to this will be the dissemination of key facts to inform citizens of their rights to restitution, how to go about lodging a claim, and what happens once a claim is lodged. This is something we didn't do before. We didn't campaign to make our people understand what was or wasn't expected of them. This time around we will do that. We will campaign to make them aware and to make things much easier for them.

The information brochure, which we have decided to call a Citizens' Manual, is being translated into all the 11 official languages of the land, and will also be available in Braille and the main languages spoken by the Khoi and the San. Trained members of our youth programme, the National Rural Youth Service Corps, Narysec, and other stakeholders, will assist in distributing the Citizens' Manual. We have brought copies of the Citizens' Manual to this House for the hon members present here today.

Land claims will be lodged electronically at any of 14 lodgment offices throughout the country. For the remote rural areas, there will be mobile units that will visit our communities to educate them about the restitution process and to assist them to lodge their land claims. In this round of lodgment, no claim forms will be made available to the public other than at the lodgment sites or mobile units.

IsiXhosa:

Ibaluleke kakhulu le nto ngoba sikhe sanentlanganiso nabantu baseGugulethu, apho bafika basixelela ukuba sekukho abantu ababahlawulisa ixabiso elingama-R50 kuba besithi baza kubayela ePitoli baye kubafakela amabango omhlaba. Ayikho loo nto.

Siphinde saya eFlagstaff, eMpuma Koloni, safika kuthethwa le nto yokuba kukho abantu abajikelezayo beqokelela imali ebantwini. Abo bantu kufuneka babanjwe kuba bangabophuli-mthetho.

English:

In this round, therefore, no claim forms will be made available to the public other than from the lodgment sites or mobile units. This is to curb the selling of claim forms by unscrupulous criminals that have already started to take advantage of our people by charging them for assistance to lodge land claims. Lodging a claim will be a free government service.

The department has been working on the exceptions to the 1913 Natives Land Act cut-off date for land claims, initially focusing on organising and mobilising the Khoi and San communities throughout the country. In addition, it has hosted two consultative conferences on the exceptions in so far as they relate to heritage sites and historical landmarks. Work is under way to codify the exceptions to the 1913 Natives Land Act cut-off date. This is very important, because when the President made the announcement, he said government would explore exceptions to the 1913 Act cut-off date. It is very important because heritage sites and historical landmarks lie outside the 13% of the land. This is critical to bear in mind. They lie outside of the 13% in most cases, but within the 87% of the land.

As a part of nation-building and national reconciliation, our people should be able to identify their historical landmarks. We should be able to say that here, at Wellington, there is a road that goes up from Cape Town to Namibia. The Khoi and the San people said to me last November, "Do you see this road that is going up here? It is a road that was used by the Khoi and the San people from the Cape to Namibia. This is part of our heritage because it is one of our historical landmarks."

This is what we are talking about. We have these stories. In the Eastern Cape, the fourth of the nine wars of dispossession was fought in the Zuurberg area. The Zuurveld was the theatre for six of the nine wars of dispossession. In January this year, we acquired 54 hectares of land in the Zuurberg from the NG Church. It was where the fourth of the nine wars of dispossession was started - Andries Stockenström senior was killed there. So, we are going to build a monument there to commemorate what happened there. We have brought together the Khoi chiefs, the San chiefs, the Xhosa chiefs and some descendents of the Dutch. So, that is part of nation-building.

In conclusion, I wish to thank all role-players and participants who actively supported and engaged in the public consultation, policy formulation and legislative drafting processes, which ultimately culminated in the signing into law of this important law by our President. I wish to thank this House for having passed this Bill when it came before it. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

/Robyn – eng/ NS - IsiXhosa

END OF TAKE

Mr C F B SMITH

The MINISTER OF LAND AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Mr C F B SMIT: Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister, hon premiers, hon members and guests, we as South Africans have the obligation to redress the legacy of apartheid. This is an attempt to reconcile our nation so that we can be united as one nation with one future. One of the methods is to redress the legacy of land dispossession.

The DA supports an orderly land reform programme that compensates people for verified past dispossession. We believe that if this programme is managed well, land restitution will boost the rural economy and create desperately needed jobs for our people.

However, we cannot open a new can of worms while we are unable to digest the current can that is already in front of us. It is like a chicken that lays her eggs on the table and runs from one egg to the other to try to save them all and, in the process, all the eggs land on the floor. Let us finish what we are busy with and let's do it well.

The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform is struggling to handle its finances, as is displayed in the R205,415-million loss on fruitless and wasteful expenditure between April 2009 and March 2014. I don't know how hon Minister Nkwinti plans to reopen the land claims process without the necessary budget to compensate for the land as his department is already running short by R79 billion to finalise the current claims.

The hon Minister will be like a blind man without his stick, stumbling over furniture and bruising his knees. The DA has already proved that equity-shared farming can work in South Africa, but this can only happen if the process is managed well and without corruption and nepotism.

Sepedi:

O a bona Modulasetulo, batho ba Afrika-Borwa ga ba nyake mahodu, ga ba nyake go bona dikolobe di eja dikolobe tše dingwe. Re nyaka go ya pele. Re a leboga. Baie dankie. [Applous.]

The PREMIER OF THE EASTERN CAPE (Mr P G Masualle)

Mr C F B SMIT

The PREMIER OF THE EASTERN CAPE (Mr P G Masualle): Hon Chairperson, presiding officers, hon Minister, hon delegates of this august House, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Twenty years into our democracy, we still face the daunting challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. As would be expected, the majority of those who are on the receiving end of this complex problem are blacks in general and Africans in particular.

It is also a fact that more than 250 years before the enactment of the notorious 1913 Land Act, the indigenous African people were engaged in protracted wars in defence of their land, their cattle, their motherland, their dignity and indeed their freedom. The Act itself came into being only to legitimise that which was forcefully taken, thus rendering Africans pariahs in the land of their birth. The land was not taken with any compensation; it was taken forcefully.

This question has always been at the heart of separate development and other racist supremacist policies that have been pursued by successive governments before the democratic order came into place. This has come to define the difficult past that this democratic government has to undo.

The nonresolution of this matter only serves to entrench, if not reproduce, that unfortunate past and its scars, unwittingly making them permanent features of our present and indeed our future. I really wish to refute these, because some of the things have proven themselves not to work. In order to ensure redress ... I don't know how much money this democratic government must have in order to ensure that there is access by all in this country - and in terms of those who took what they got but never by any lawful means.

It is only logical that a thoroughgoing and radical approach, that secures genuine redress in land access and ownership, be an unavoidable necessity. Our people and the country need action now and not later. All of us, I submit, must be restless as a nation until a lasting solution is found, and that solution cannot only be found by ensuring compensation. The member that spoke before me painted this as an almost insurmountable task were we to hope that all of this was addressed through that measure only. Of course, it has to be that other measures are looked at to ensure this redress.

It is in this context that we support the efforts by our government and the Minister to reopen these claims so as to create conditions that as a nation we all get engaged with in order to find solutions to this difficult problem. It should be stated that time is of the essence. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Ms N MAYATHULE-KHOZA (Gauteng)

The PREMIER OF THE EASTERN CAPE (Mr P Masualle)

Ms N MAYATHULE-KHOZA (Gauteng): Hon Chair, hon Deputy Chairs, hon premiers, the hon Minister, hon members, it is indeed a great pleasure for me to represent the Premier of Gauteng on this matter.

On his behalf we welcome with huge excitement the statement of the reopening of land claims by the hon Minister in terms of Rule 251 under the theme, "Together addressing the legacy of land dispossession".

We commend the Minister's hard work in consultation with the South African victims of land dispossession that led to the hon Zuma's signing the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act of 2014.

Together with the people of South Africa, the ANC government is now empowered to prioritise and accelerate the settlement of not only the remaining 8 471 land claims submitted before the cut-off date of 1998, but also the settlement of all descendants of those who were forcibly removed from the land of their birth as a result of the notorious 1913 Natives Land Act and other discriminatory laws and policies of the past regime.

I will share briefly with you, hon Chair, the history of Gauteng's 20 years of democracy on this matter, working together with the Ministers. As at the end of March 2014, of the 10 999 land claims lodged, 9 121 of those were successfully settled. I think that gives us about 83%. [Applause.]

This land reform programme has benefited 66 000 Gauteng people. A total of 1 700 hectares of land has been restored in Gauteng. The total land value is R110,3 million, with financial compensation of R642 million. The ANC government has also provided grants to beneficiaries to the value of R89,2 million, and the total land settlement value in Gauteng benefiting our dispossessed is R841,4 million. Indeed, together we can address the legacy of land dispossession. However, we in Gauteng do have descendants who were victims of the 1913 Land Act that could not claim in 1998 and they are really elated by the Minister's announcement.

We are, without fear or favour, as the ANC government, dealing decisively with the centuries-old injustices that rendered the majority of our people landless and all other injustices responsible for the ongoing triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

We have decided to replace the willing-buyer, willing-seller approach that has delayed our land reform programme with the principle of just and equitable compensation in line with section 25 of our Constitution. Those who attempt to expropriate land without compensation must prepare to go to jail for their criminal and illegal act.

This amending Act will enable us as the ANC government to deracialise our rural economy. By the way, half a million of our people in Gauteng live in our rural areas - in case some hon members did not know that. This amending Act will enable us to democratise the allocation and use of land and ensure production for guaranteed food security for all.

Hon Minister, please continue working together with us in the provinces with your successful recapitalisation and development programme to ensure that those who get their land back are well equipped, supported and empowered to run productive farms that will contribute to poverty eradication, employment, equality and radical and inclusive economic transformation.

The National Land Restitution Register, the amendment of notification requirements, the criminalisation of lodgment of fraudulent claims, the appointment of additional judges for the Land Claims Court, the electronic lodgment of claims and other logistical arrangements will definitely, without a doubt, help us accelerate this reopening of the land restitution process in a professional and efficient manner. In this way, we will also radically transform South Africa's economy to benefit the rural and urban poor.

In conclusion, we are confident that this ANC government will also urgently codify the exceptions to the 1913 Natives Land Act cut-off date for the descendants of the Khoi and San in order to get back the land of their forefathers and foremothers.

Together we are decisively and unashamedly addressing the legacy of land dispossession. On behalf of the Gauteng government, we support the Minister's statement. I thank you. [Applause.]

Dr Y C VAWDA

Ms N MAYATHULE-KHOZA (Gauteng)

Dr Y C VAWDA: Allow me first and foremost to acknowledge the presence of our supreme forces, irrespective of whatever our perceptions might be. I greet all of you with As salaam alaikum. [Peace be upon you.] May God's peace be with you.

The issues surrounding the huge discrepancy regarding land ownership in South Africa are well documented and the arguments well exhausted.

Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon premiers and hon MEC, I have no intention of dwelling any further on this. This discrepancy, however, lies at the very heart of the huge socioeconomic discrepancy that exists in South Africa. It is this perspective I wish to share with you. Closing the socioeconomic gap is not only in the best interests ...

Mr J P PARKIES: ... [Inaudible.] ... on the head, Chairperson. Is that in order? Maybe we must be advised accordingly. Is is parliamentary?

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): About what?

IsiXhosa:

Mnu Y C VAWDA: Uthwele umnqwazi, Sihlalo.

English:

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): The hat, hon member, the hat ... [Interjections.]

Dr Y C VAWDA: This is my religious conviction, Chair.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Could I be advised because I know that ... [Interjections.] Order, hon members! Let me be advised, because I know that we do have those for religious purposes, but about this one, let me get advice and then I will make a ruling. [Interjections.]

Hon members, order! Could I confirm with you, hon member, about the hat that you are wearing: is it part of your religious practice? If not, you have to take it off. If it is part of your religious practice, there is nothing I can do about it. [Interjections.]

Dr Y C VAWDA: The religion is quite clear: you keep your head covered. There is nothing that says it has to be any type of hat. The important thing is to keep the head covered.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon members, let us not make a big deal. I have asked him a question. He has responded to the question, and I am convinced that his response is linked to his conscience. So, I will be mindful of the time. Go on.

Dr Y C VAWDA: Closing the socioeconomic gap is not only in the best interests of people dispossessed of land, a living salary, humane living conditions, our children who go hungry to bed at night, nay it is not only in the best interests of the poor, but it is also in the best interests of all of us, including the fortunate wealthy amongst us. The increasing social and civil unrest in South Africa, in the form of labour unrest, community uprisings, service delivery marches and the increase in the rate of crime rate, is directly related to this growing gap between those who have and those who have not.

We live in a country where on one side we have people driving around in Porsche and Ferrari motor cars, and on the other side, at the same time, our children fall into toilet holes and die. Surely, our arithmetic leaves much to be desired? Any so-called commercial farm that relies on cheap labour should not be regarded as such. Indeed, any investment based on socioeconomic injustice is not justice. It is, in fact, not only unacceptable and unjust, but it is an affront to the dignity of our people.

The discussion on land reform unnecessarily excites emotions. On the one side, there is desperation to hold on, and on the other side, the quest for human dignity. With so much unutilised and underutilised land available, redistribution is possible within the confines of section 25 of the Constitution.

Hon Minister, failure on the part of the government of the past 20 years in this regard is a regrettable indictment. Yes, hon Minister, what was that about 62%? We have heard so much about this recently, spoken about with so much pride - one could almost see the bosoms burst with arrogance. But when a child falls down a toilet hole, this not only brings a lump to the throat and tears to the eyes, but it is enough to make the bosom burst with sorrow.

Hon Minister, we invite you and all other hon Ministers in your government to take some time away from your arrogance and fill your bosoms with the sorrows of our people. I surely speak for all members in this House when I say that you will find us willing, co-operative and eager to assist you fulfil your responsibility. However, it remains the obligation of every member to take every opportunity to remind you of your mandate. Your new proposals on land reform suggest a half-revolutionary approach.

We in the EFF invite you to join us and together we will provide you with the two-thirds majority required to make these so-desperately-needed fundamental legislative and policy changes in your department, which will have a meaningful effect on the lives of our people who need them most. [Interjections.]

Hon Chair, hon Minister, hon members, thank you for lending me your ears. I trust henceforth you will also lend me your hearts. Siyabonga kakhulu. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Ms M F TLHAKE: Chairperson, I rise on a point of order. I want the speaker to actually clarify for us what he means by "bosom". Is he referring to the breasts, or what?

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): He has already concluded his speech. [Interjections.]

Kn// LIM CHECKED//

END OF TAKE

Ms B SHÄFER

Dr Y C VAWDA

Ms B SCHÄFER (Western Cape): Hon Chairperson, Ministers, premiers and members of the National Council of Promises ... oh, Provinces ... [Laughter.] ... if South Africa is to create the million jobs by 2030, as proposed by President Zuma in his state of the nation address, then the National Development Plan, supported by 90% of South Africa's people and its proposal for land reform is the only way forward. It's a plan which addresses an integrative and inclusive approach to land reform, a plan which promotes co-operation rather than exclusion, a plan which focuses on democratic and equitable land allocation, a plan to ensure long-term food security, and a plan which contributes to economic growth and employment.

The Western Cape supports land reform, as enshrined in section 25 of the Constitution, in so far as it expands access to the right of restitution and redress whilst not putting food security at risk. We want to play a role in making sure land reform becomes a success because a risk to jobs, if it fails, is too high.

Minister Nkwinti has stated that his department is committed "to vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities and food security for all". However, the policy the Minister is proposing – Strengthening the Relative Rights of People Working the Land – will without doubt create a larger divide, threaten forced expropriation without compensation, create greater government control of farming development and increase job losses and rural decline. We, the Western Cape, cannot support a model that endangers existing productive agricultural land as this is a sure way forward for a new scheme to fail.

The national government has yet to show success in land reform with a failure rate of more than 90% of projects across the country. Yet, in the Western Cape, we have proof of successful land reform programmes such as our equity share schemes. This programme allows farmers the option to sell a share of their land through a shared ownership scheme. It also enables farm workers to buy a percentage of the farm using money allocated by national government for land reform. Our track record thus far shows an 80% success rate. We are so committed in the Western Cape to the National Development Plan that we are willing to move beyond our success in equity share schemes and propose that we pilot the National Development Plan proposal relating to commercial farms. That's our commitment to land reform.

Minister Nkwinti must refrain from the mixed messages that he is putting out there. Fourteen new land policies and draft laws have been published over the past 18 months - most of which are contradictory, some of which may be unconstitutional, and some of which are competing with the hon Malema.

While the Western Cape supports land restitution ...

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon member, try to conclude.

Ms B SCHÄFER (Western Cape): I'm finishing. While the Western Cape supports land restitution, his proposal, as it stands, has no support from political parties across the spectrum including some of the Minister's own ANC comrades. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mnu L B GAEHLER

Ms B SCHÄFER (Western Cape)

IsiXhosa:

Mnu L B GAEHLER: Mandikubulise Sihlalo ...

English:

... hon Minister and premier, hon members, I greet you. Land redistribution aims to correct the injustices of the past. The Natives Land Act of 1913, a piece of legislation which ratified and legalised the exclusion of South Africa's black majority from land ownership in favour of the white minority, has left behind a legacy of both dispossession and oppression. Citizens, however, have voiced their grievances post-1994 with regard to the lack of post-settlement support, as that has created a situation in which some individuals have had to sell back land given to them by the government.

The UDM firmly believes that land should be restored to its rightful owners with support and skills development, so that there is no uncertainty and tension. When this is done, we believe that the needs of South African farmers need to be prioritised by developing policies to subsidise farmers that will enable them to fairly compete against their international counterparts.

We believe in the creation of the necessary infrastructure that will create jobs and encourage the growth of more employment, creating agriculture-related enterprises to ensure that migration to urban areas is slowed down. Infrastructure to support agricultural activity, such as irrigation schemes, has been proven to be successful in the past. One-stop agricultural service centres should be established in rural areas where emerging farmers can ask for advice. Thank you.

IsiXhosa:

Mphathiswa wam endimthandayo, masibulele ngokusinika ithuba lokuba sithethe ngale ngxaki yomhlaba. Siyawuxhasa lo mgaqo-nkqubo kodwa sinayo ingxaki siyi-UDM. Kukho imihlaba eyabangwa phaya kwela cala lethu laseMpuma Koloni, ekwiindawo ezifana nooMtata, imihlaba yakwaPenny naseHighbury. Siyayazi ukuba unengxaki yabantu bakuthi abafuna ukurhwaphiliza abakwiikomiti ezininzi, kodwa loo nto iyasibetha kuba iidolophu azikwazi kukhula. Nkulumbuso, ukuba uyaqaphela, iidolophu zethu zixinene kangangokuba loo nto yenza kube nzima nokuphuma kuzo. Ngenxa yokuba ezi ngxaki zingade zisonjululwe, naloo mihlaba iyarhwaphilizwa.

Siyacela ke Mphathiswa ukuba ukhe ungenenele. Ndiyakwazi ukuba uqhelile ungenelela xa sithetha nawe kuba awujonganga zinto zezopolitiko kuphela. Ndiyakubulela, ndikuxhasa kwaye ndiya kuhlonipha kuba ungumntu ojongene nesizwe hayi ezopolitiko kuphela. Awundijongi ngokwebhatyi yam. Ndiyabulela Mhlekazi, kodwa ndiyakucela ukuba ukhe ungenelele kwezi ngxaki. Enkosi.

Mnu M KHAWULA

Mnu L B GAEHLER

IsiZulu:

Mnu M KHAWULA: Mangithokoze ...

English:

... hon Chairperson, hon Minister, our Chief Whip had this to say to us:

Xitsonga:

Mintirho ya vulavula.

English:

The question of land was one of the core principles and the major essence of the struggle for our liberation in this country. Our heroes of yesteryear fought battles because they were protecting land from the colonial invaders. Land gives dignity to individuals and families; land is sacred; land is precious; land possession gives meaning to the quality of our legacy, hence the dispossession of land stripped African communities of something very sacred to their livelihood.

It is very unfortunate that from 1994 until now, the government of South Africa has been poor in the administration of land restitution. As the IFP, we welcome all attempts to correct this situation. The erstwhile KwaZulu government in 1994, towards the dawn of our first democratic election, passed the KwaZulu Ingonyama Trust Act. This was done to protect the possession of land in KwaZulu. This placed all the land, which was under the authority of the then KwaZulu government, in the hands of the Zulu King. As a result, the Zulu king is amongst the few kings who can claim to be legally in possession of land in this country. This is how much the IFP leadership values the issue of land ownership.

With the recent reopening of land claims, the IFP hopes that this time the procedures involved in the administration of land claims will be more efficient. I want to thank the hon Minister for briefing us with some of the improvements that will be introduced, including a comprehensive communication strategy, a brochure referred to as the Citizens' Manual, the mobile units for rural areas and electronic applications. All those improvements are really welcomed.

The choice given between money and land needs to be closely looked into by the department. It was land that was confiscated, and it is land that must be returned. Money will always be a temptation, obviously, because people are desperate. Training is another important aspect that goes along with restitution. Land that is returned to our communities must be capacitated to be productive and to be of value to both the communities and the country. The IFP supports this move, hon Chairperson. Thank you. [Applause.]

Nb/Mia (Eng)

END OF TAKE

Mr G O MOLAPISI (North West)

Mr M KHAWULA

Mr G O MOLAPISI (North West): Hon Chair, Deputy Chair, Minister Nkwinti, Chief Whip, premiers present here and hon members, let me take this opportunity to greet you. It is, indeed, an honour and a privilege for me to participate in this debate, more so because it is an opportunity to reflect on a matter that lies in the hearts of our people, namely addressing the legacy of land dispossession.

We meet here a few days after the President delivered the state of the nation address and also after provinces delivered their state of the province address. So, we can stand here today confidently and say, "Together we move South Africa forward" and we are a nation at work.

In the state of the nation address, the President said that we would accelerate the settlement of the remaining land claims submitted before the cut-off date of 1998. And today we are delivering that mandate, because we have committed ourselves to delivering what we promised our people because we have their best interests at heart.

Minister, when you briefed Parliament on 1 July 2014, you had this to say to our people, and I quote:

As we reopen the lodgment period, we are mindful that there are parts of our community that remain excluded by this process. I refer to the Khoi and the San communities who are not accommodated by this Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act of 2014. Their plight is not forgotten. I want to assure them that a policy on the exceptions to the 1913 Natives Land Act cut-off date is being developed that seeks to address their concerns.

Your words, Minister, confirmed what Lenin said in that "The true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love." Therefore, to reverse this legacy means rebuilding the class of black farmers, rebuilding the environment and deepening production discipline for food security and sovereignty. The theme of "Together addressing the legacy of land dispossession" captures this correctly. Of the many dire socioeconomic consequences of the 1913 Act, the following stand out. Firstly, it destroyed a fledging class of African farmers. Secondly, it destroyed the environment through overpopulation, overgrazing and deforestation. Thirdly, it placed black people, particularly Africans, in a situation of abject and grinding poverty.

Given our country's sad history of land dispossession, the Restitution of the Land Rights Programme is a necessary intervention for redress, reconciliation and nation-building, which are in line with our National Development Plan's goal towards the elimination of poverty and the reduction of inequality by 2030. It is my conviction that the issue of access to land is one of the fundamental elements of the transformation of the rural economy of our country where the burden of land dispossession was felt the most. Our government has identified high levels of unemployment and a lack of economic opportunities and social development amongst the youth. So, we responded to this challenge in 2010 when the department launched the National Rural Youth Services Corps programme.

To date, in the North West province the department has recruited 1 245 youths under this programme and has yielded the following outcomes that include the following: character development, which is discipline and patriotism; hard skills training which entails household and community profiling; life-skills training which is rights awareness; and development of rural wards to participate in the economic and social development of rural areas. The department is also offering a stipend of R1 350 per month. The recruitment for the 2014-15 financial year across the province totals 555 young people.

In moving South Africa forward, under the leadership of the President, the department recently introduced an animal and veld management programme. The intention is to create sustainable linkages between the communal in the historical 13% of our land and the 87% space . The programme has three activities, which are integrally linked and they are: soil rehabilitation, regreening and decongesting the space.

The programme is implemented in collaboration with the local department of agriculture and rural development, and has recently been launched in the Greater Taung Local Municipality as a first phase. The programme will be rolled out to other district municipalities in our province. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr O J SEFAKO

Mr G O MOLOAPISI (North West)

Mr O J SEFAKO: Hon Chair, hon Minister, hon premiers, hon members and distinguished guests, it is, indeed, my pleasure to be part of this debate in this august House on a critical and important theme: "Together addressing the legacy of land dispossession."

For over three centuries, South Africa has been characterised by contradictions. Our history is a history of land disputes. The emergence of this democratically elected government, which is led by the ANC, is the only government that ushered in a spirit of hope to address this unjust legacy.

Setswana:

Ke rata go go leboga thata Tona. Ke a re a ke o tseye lenaka la tholo segogoropo o palame thaba e ya Kapa o le peperetse, gore le utlwale Aforika Borwa ka bophara. Go seka ga nna ope yo o tla reng ga a le utlwa. Fa e le dipuso tse di fetileng tsa bonwamadi, tse di ileng tsa gapa ka dikgoka le ka botlhokabopelotlhomogi, di itse gore ke nako, o buile. Motho mongwe le mongwe yo a utlwisitsweng botlhoko ka go gapelwa ka dikgoka, a itse gore puso eno, e e eteletsweng pele ke ANC, e fitlhile, e bile e le naya tšhono. Atamelang lotlhe. Dinwamadi tse di ipitsang gore ke dikhonsaletente, ba e reng fa puso e batla go thusa batho e be e le bona ba iketeleditseng pele ba baya maparego ...

English:

... creating unnecessary impediments which make it impossible ...

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Chairperson ...

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): What is your point of order?

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Chairperson, I'm not sure whether the interpreting is correct. I would like to verify what the member meant when he referred to "bloodsuckers" according to the interpreting. [Interjections.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): It's what was translated? It's what you heard, or what they interpreted for you?

Ms E C VAN LINGEN: Chairperson, I am asking if that is parliamentary.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Okay. Hon Van Lingen, we will look at that and make a ruling on it. Try to conclude, hon Sefako.

Setswana:

Rre O J SEFAKO: Motlotlegi Modulasetilo, e re ke feleletse ka gore lehumo le tswa mo mmung. Gore re fitlhele go na le ...

English:

... this disparity between the haves and the have-nots: it was made systematically and created deliberately. Those that own the land, the fertile veld, from which people were forcefully dispossessed and forcefully removed, should bear in mind that, indeed, the ANC-led government is coming. I thank you. [Applause.]

KC/

END OF TAKE

The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM (Mr G E Nkwinti)

Mr O J SEFAKO

The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM: Hon Chair, I wish to thank the hon members who participated in the debate.

I will not respond to the relativity of rights because that issue is not before the House; I will respond to it when the time comes.

The DA raised two things which, I think, need to be responded to. The first one was the budget. We have been talking about this budget story. We said that this was going to be serviced through the fiscus. That's it. We will service the claims through the fiscus. I do not understand why the DA thinks that there should be money set aside for servicing claims because, over the past 15 years, the fiscus has been doing that. The hon member said here that there had been fraud totalling a certain amount, etc.

The second one – which is even more important to me – is the share equity scheme. The DA has claimed the share equity scheme policy for itself. That policy was created by Minister Derek Hanekom. It is the ANC that created that policy.

Hon members, the problem that the Western Cape is not admitting to is that only white commercial farmers – probably supporters of the DA – are satisfied with the policy as it stands. I am working very closely with the workers and they are complaining about how this policy is implemented.

This is how the policy is implemented here in the Western Cape. I know that the hon Premier of the Western Cape has also talked about this extensively. The workers who have equity work on Farm x. They are then given equity in Farm b. Do you see how it works? They will therefore never have any ownership. [Interjections.] That is why the DA cannot agree with the policy proposals on the table because the proposals will disturb the comfort zones of their supporters.

The workers are very clear. They are saying to us that they are all in agreement on the share equity scheme. They feel that it is a good policy badly managed by the farmers and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. As it stands now, it works against workers. That is why we put a moratorium on its implementation.

We should not boast about this; it was done by us as the ANC. It is predominantly in the Western Cape.

The last one – the National Development Plan, NDP – is exactly the same as it was with President Nelson Mandela. The DA takes over all the good things that the ANC does.

IsiXhosa:

IsiCwangciso soPhuhliso seSizwe lilinge likarhulumente we-ANC, babaleka naso. UNelson Mandela ngumongameli we-ANC; babaleka naye. [Kwahlekwa.] I-share equity scheme ngumgaqo-nkqubo we-ANC; babaleka nawo. [Uwele-wele.]

English:

No. It cannot be true that the DA claim all the good things for themselves but say that they want nothing to do with the bad things. It is the ANC ...

An HON MEMBER: But we implement it.

The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM: ... that is moving South Africa forward and not the DA. [Applause.]

The DA ... you see ... We have resolved District Six. [Interjections.]

An HON MEMBER: That is the thing – management.

The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM: We are in phase three now. [Applause.] When we were doing sod-turning here a few weeks ago, it was a massive thing for the DA. The premier, the city mayor and everybody was there. It was our initiative. It was an ANC initiative, but they claimed it. [Interjections.]

You know, this is a very funny DA thing. They claim for themselves all the good things of the ANC, including saying that ANC policy is good but the ANC is bad at implementing it, so they should be given power to implement those ANC policies which are good. Sorry, guys, the electorate is wide awake. They belong to the ANC. Let us move South Africa forward. Thank you, Chair. [Applause.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon members, there is a saying that you cannot praise a fish for swimming. However, on behalf of the Chairperson of the Council, I want to extend a word of gratitude to special delegate members. Their presence is the Constitution in action. It gives relevance to the House when a Minister comes here to present a statement in terms of Rule 251 and there are delegations from provinces present to participate. It is really encouraging and it means that this term will be very interesting. We applaud that. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

The Council adjourned at 15:43.

/JN(Eng)//nvs(Eng)

NS (IsiXhosa)

END OF TAKE


Audio

No related

Documents

No related documents