Download All Documents (Click Here)
KZN PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT CONVENES TWO-DAY LAND GOVERNANCE SUMMIT
Land use and productivity today, 15 March 2022, came under the spotlight as the KwaZulu-Natal government and Amakhosi commenced a two-day Land Summit.
The administration and land use management will determine whether the province of KwaZulu-Natal can successfully reverse the apartheid spatial settlement patterns and address poverty in rural areas.
The Summit which brought together Amakhosi, Mayors, senior government officials, and non-governmental organisations is attempting to find innovative solutions for equitable and productive use of land to facilitate development of communities.
Addressing delegates at the summit, Premier Sihle Zikalala said: “We have rural areas where people live far away from government services. These communities often find themselves in areas that are inaccessible and have not been thoroughly surveyed and thus do not comply with relevant land regulations, which is partly due to the injustices of apartheid which saw millions of Africans abandoned in inhospitable areas. Through this summit, we aim to promote integration and collaboration amongst role players in land governance, which will assist us in dealing with the injustices of the past.”
Premier Zikalala called for the full implementation of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) which provides a framework for spatial planning and land use management in the country.
Through the proper implementation of spatial planning laws, the KZN Provincial Government will, according to Premier Zikalala, ensure that the province has a credible system to determine popultion density within specific areas and avoid the haphazard placement of people in parcels of land that are not surveyed. This will also result in enhanced credibility of any budget allocation made by the government towards development based on population size.
Speaking during the Summit, the Chairperson of the KZN Provincial House of Traditional Leadership Inkosi Chiliza presented a position paper drafted by Amakhosi to be discussed on day two of the Summit. According to Inkosi Chiliza, the institution of traditional leadership has an important role to play in the administration of land and the implementation of measures that will ensure that proper governance of land takes place for the benefit of communities.
ENDS
Issued by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government