Land summit needed to focus on reform

Video

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS & VIDEO - Eden District Municipality executive mayor, Councillor Memory Booysen, is proposing an audit of all available land in the region.

This call is the result of a debate at the Representative Forum on Integrated Development Planning, Budgeting and Performance Management that took place in Mossel Bay this past week.

The summit was attended by mayors, councillors and ward committee members from the various municipalities in the Eden district.

Mayor Booysen said the availability of land is an emotional issue.

"We at the Eden DM have completed our land audit; we now need to find out where the available land at municipal level and in the hands of the Department of Public Works is. We need to decide on how best that land can be used to feed our people sustainably.

"The reality is that land reform is not happening at the right place. This frustrates people in the region. The issue is that various municipalities and government departments own land within the district that is not fully, functionally or optimally used. There is a tug of war as to who should make the decisions on whether the people should have access to the land. The land should not be allowed to lie fallow.

Eden District Municipality's executive mayor, middle, promised a land audit of available land in the region. With him are councillors from Oudtshoorn municipality.

"The Eden District Municipality (EDM) has done its land audit.

"We will now study the audit, see what land is available, what zoning is applicable and what the land can be used for.

"Similarly, we need to know what other land is available.

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Therefore we have suggested that the land summit should follow where available land will be identified. We will establish exactly who it belongs to, whether there are viable plans for that land and whether it can be put to good use to produce food in a sustainable manner.

"Land needs to be used for food security, empowerment, economic empowerment and other activities; we dare not let it be left dormant."

Several stakeholders, among whom were the deputy mayor of the Eden District Municipality (and Mossel Bay councillor) Rosina Ruiters (far right) and EDM municipal manager (third from left) Monde Stratu expressed their commitment to a proposed land summit that will follow before the end of this year. Photo: Nickey le Roux