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The Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform invited the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) to respond on the issues that have arisen in response to media advertisements to convert the “permission to occupy” on Ingonyama Trust land to long-term leases.

The department clarified its role and responsibilities in relation to the ITB, which receives R19 million in funding from the department to carry out its administrative responsibilities. The ITB is accountable to the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform.

The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Phumuzile Ngwenya-Mabila, said that the ITB must explain to the people living in the village the difference between the PTO and long-term leases and also how the leases will benefit them.

In response, the ITB informed the committee that the adverts were a response to the Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal, which lost a case about the granting of housing allowances to government employees living in rural areas. Both the provincial government, as the employer, and the trade union movement, on behalf of the workers, requested that leases be implemented in line with policy.

The committee wanted to know if the move from PTO to long-term leases will yield increased revenue for the ITB and what the revenue will be used for. The long-term leases must not hinder the rights of people living in rural areas to own land, the committee said.

The committee requested the ITB to hold extensive public hearings with their beneficiaries across the province and to report their findings to the committee. Furthermore, the committee told the board that the current process must be put on hold and the department must meet with ITB and report back to the committee.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform, Phumzile Ngwenya-Mabila