Ann Eveleth
The KwaZulu/Natal government has been accused of=20 dragging its heels over the implementation of an=20 intensive land reform programme worth more than R79- million, while tens of thousands of dispossessed rural=20 residents wait helplessly for the assistance promised=20 them by central government last year.
The charges come amid the province’s calls for greater=20 devolution of powers — including those pertaining to=20 land affairs — to the province, an irony African=20 National Congress provincial chief whip Ina Cronje=20 called “amazing” during a recent parliamentary debate.
Responsibility for implementing the three Land Reform=20 Presidential Lead Projects had been devolved to the=20 provincial department of agriculture earlier this year,=20 but so far, Cronje said, “very little has happened to=20 implement them.” =20
“I am quite amazed at the fact that the Department of=20 Agriculture calls for more power when it has not even=20 begun to implement (the projects) entrusted to it by=20 the central government,” Cronje said.
The projects include the R35-million pilot project=20 launched by President Nelson Mandela in the Escourt- Weenan district this March; a R30-million=20 redistribution support programme for the communities of=20 Buthelezi, AmaSwazi, Thembalihle, Cornfields, Khumalo=20 and the Amahlubi; and R14,4-million restitution=20 programme for the communities of Roosboom, Alcockspruit=20 and Charlestown which regained their land rights more=20 than a year ago.
Mdu Shabane, co-chairman of the provincial steering=20 committee tasked with overseeing the project, agreed=20 that “nothing has happened” since the projects were=20 announced last September and said the affected=20 communities were growing impatient: “We have heard=20 submissions from the Weenan-Muden communities to the=20 office of (KwaZulu/Natal Agriculture Minister) George=20 Bartlett to find out what it happening. People in=20 Colenso, Roosboom, all of them are asking when the=20 project is going to start.”=20
Shabane said the steering committee had encountered an=20 array of bureaucratic stumbling blocks in recent months=20 and warned that this was causing serious problems for=20 the projects: “We’re falling behind schedule and the=20 relevant departments don’t seem to be interested in=20 implementing it … either they’re not committed to the=20 process, or they have a problem with it. We don’t know=20 but we’ve heard they’ve been told not to get involved.”
Cronje suggested the Agriculture Department needed to=20 move “away from a preoccupation with white commercial=20 farmers towards addressing the needs of the thousands=20 and thousands of previously disadvantaged communities”.
KwaZulu/Natal Director of Land Affairs Peter Schaafsma=20 played down the accusations, however, and said, while=20 political problems between the national and provincial=20 governments had a role in the delay, “it’s not the main=20
Schaafsma admitted the project was “not progressing as=20 quickly as possible”, but said progress was being made=20 and pointed to the “time-consuming inclusive processes”=20 as a major stumbling block.
Shabane, who represents the Association for Rural=20 Advancement NGO which has worked with the dispossessed=20 communities involved, said the problem lies with the=20
While the problems had started with the Agriculture=20 Department, he said current deadlocks also centred on=20 bureaucrats in the Inkatha Freedom Party-controlled=20 local government and housing department, and National=20 Land Commissioner Sue Lund had been forced to=20
The Agriculture Department had initially questioned=20 the timeline, institutional framework and other aspects=20 mapped out by the National Department of Land Affairs,=20 said Shabane.
“They were saying Land Affairs is not the responsible=20 department, that it is just providing the funds to the=20 province and the province will run the thing the way it=20 wants to”.
Local government and housing in kwaZulu/Natal falls=20 under Minister Peter Miller, who could not be reached=20 at the time of writing.
Bartletts personal secretary, Charles Edwards, said the=20 Minister could not be reached, but added that his reply=20 to Cronje had been that the National Land Affairs=20 Department had not yet given the money for the=20