Pretoria - Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti says land is a fundamental asset to change the lives of people for the better.
Minister Nkwinti made the remarks on Friday during the start of a two-day conference on the proposed Communal Land Tenure Bill and the Communal Property Associations Amendment Bill taking place in Boksburg.
Addressing delegates, which include traditional leaders, members of trusts and traditional councils, the Minister said the land question has been a fundamental cause of liberation struggles over the years.
The proposed legislation seeks to facilitate what should be done in rural areas to improve the lives of people.
Minister Nkwinti said government has realised that communities do not always have the necessary tools to deal with challenges they are facing regarding their land.
“We want to train [people] so that [they] know how to overcome the challenges [they] are facing. Our people have suffered so much during apartheid, they should not suffer in this democratic government. These laws will open doors… they will change lives for the better,” Minister Nkwinti said.
During the conference, delegates are expected to deliberate on the Communal Land Tenure Policy, which will in turn inform the proposed Communal Land Tenure Bill.
The bill, among others, seeks to confirm land rights within communities and support the development and institutionalisation of community land governance rules.
The policy’s provisions concerning the regulation, management and administration of communal land are grounded on a set of principles that guide the implementation of the proposed intervention.
These include equitable land access, food security, democratic and accountable land governance, the empowerment of people, promoting of collective ownership, economic growth, poverty eradication, investment and development in communal areas.
The Communal Property Associations Amendment Bill, which is to be tabled before Parliament later this year, seeks to address the governance, accountability and other challenges facing Communal Property Associations (CPAs).
CPAs have been plagued by numerous challenges and infighting among members, which has led to the collapse of farms and farming enterprises, where land had been restored to communities.
Minister Nkwinti also urged traditional councils, trusts and structures of CPAs to account to the communities. – SAnews.gov.za
