thereportoftheportfoliocommitteeonruraldevelopment.docVIP

THE REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM ON THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AFFAIRS FOR 2008/09, DATED 4 NOVEMBER 2009. The Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform, having considered the 2008/09 Annual Report of the Department of Land Affairs, reports as follows: Introduction The briefing on the 2008/09 annual report of the Department of Land Affairs (DLA) took place on 21st of October 2009. The new Department of Rural Development and Land Reform briefed the Portfolio Committee on this annual report. The following members of the top management of the Department appeared before the Portfolio Committee for the briefing: Mr. Thozi Gwanya - Director General (DG), Mr. Vusi Mahlangu - Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr. Mdu’ Shabane - Deputy Director General (DDG) - Land Tenure Reform, Mr. A van Staden - Acting DDG Corporate Services, Dr N. Makgalemele - Deputy Director General - Land Planning and Information, Mr. Andrew Mphela - Chief Land Claims Commissioner (CLCC). The Mission of the DLA was “to provide enhanced land rights to all South Africans, with particular emphasis on black people, that would result in increased income levels and job opportunities, productive land use and well planned human settlement.” In order to achieve its mandate, the Department was organized into six different but complementary programmes, namely Administration, Mapping and Surveys, Cadastral Surveys, Restitution, Land Tenure Reform, Spatial Planning Information (SPI) and Deeds Registry. This report is presented within a context of commitment to the programme for land and agrarian reform and the target of redistributing 30% of white owned agricultural land by 2014. The committee engaged with the report with an understanding of the challenges facing the land reform programme and the demands of the poor and landless people for prompt delivery of land and support services to ensure that beneficiaries realize