Let’s change communal land policies

IT IS HEART-WARMING to see consultative public engagements between government and stakeholders in policy making.

Despite new laws a series of challenges still exists, and a refinement of policy is needed in order to tailor-make a piece of legislation that will govern communal land.

South Africa has a dual land administration system which is characterised by secure and insecure tenure systems.

Insecure tenure is largely administered by traditional leaders where land is either registered by traditional leaders or in the name of the state or remains unregistered.

The insecure tenure system is protected by the Interim Protection of Land Right Act, and the right holders are issued with Permission To Occupy.

This created a list of challenges which resulted in many people, approximately between 16-17 million in communal areas, holding informal land tenure rights that are not recorded nor registered.

Furthermore, approximately 2.7 million people live on land owned by others in commercial farming areas and are therefore vulnerable to evictions.

A policy overhaul is needed to address these challenges.

SMANGELE VUKEYA |