Issued by: Department of Land Affairs
APPOINTMENT OF NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL
The wheel turned full circle on Wednesday 24 January 1996 when the Cabinet of the Government of National Unity approved the appointment of Mr Geoffrey Budlender as Director General of Land Affairs, to replace Mr Coenie de Villiers who retires at the end of April. Geoff Budlender is no stranger to Ministers responsible for land matters. In the past, however, unlike today, he and the Ministers were not on the same side. Piet Koornhof was Minister in the same building in which Mr Budlender will now be the top civil servant back in the days when the young human rights lawyer came to do battle on behalf of victims of the forced removal notices the minister was signing. He had similar encounters in later years with ex-Ministers Gerrit Viljoen and Jacob de Villiers.
Though a thorn in the flesh of the authorities of the time, Mr Budlender nevertheless earned their respect because of the depth of his knowledge and his commitment to what he believed was right. What he brings to the department today is the fact that, amongst stakeholders and role players in the land reforms process, from NGOs to the South African Agricultural Union (SAAU), he enjoys that same level of respect. In the tough battles that lie ahead for the Department and the land reform process, this will be a major asset.
Educated at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth and the University of Cape Town, Geoff Budlender was admitted as an attorney of the South African Supreme Court in 1978. He joined the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) when it opened in January 1979 and has practised there as an attorney since then. He is currently National Director of the LRC.
His main areas of practice have been the pass laws, forced re- movals, citizenship, consumer issues, urban and rural land matters, and housing. He has lectured on legal issues at various universities in South Africa and the USA.
Apart from his stint as advisor to Derek Hanekom from June to October 1995 and his appointment by President Mandela as sole member of the (Budlender) Commission of Enquiry into Irregularities in the Disposal of State Land, he has held the following positions:
- Trustee, Oukasie Development Trust - Trustee, Legal Assistance Centre, Namibia - Rapporteur, Working Group 4 (Reincorporation of the homelands), CODESA - Technical Committee on the Ingonyama Trust Act, appointed by Cabinet Committee, May 1994 - Chairperson, Water Law Review Committee, appointed by the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry - Chairperson, National Health Legislation Review Committee, appointed by the Minister of Health - Member of the drafting teams on the Restitution of Land Rights Act, Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Bill, Communal Property Associations Bill, and the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Bill.
Minister Derek Hanekom said on Wednesday that he was pleased that Cabinet had agreed to the appointment of a person of the calibre of Geoff Budlender. He noted that as recently as the parliamentary debate on the Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Bill, Mr Budlender had received special mention by a National Party member for his assistance to the Land Affairs Standing Committee.
Mr Budlender will have as part of his team Sue Lund and Angela Bester, the only two women Deputy Directors General in the country. Together with the rest of the management team of the Department, they will be responsible for implementing South African Land Policy. A Green Paper on this policy is to be released for comment on February 1. By May 1, when Mr Budlender takes up his position in the Department, the drafting of a White Paper will be close to finalisation.
Department of Land Affairs Communications Directorate 26 January 1996
Contact: Maurice Smithers 012 3128353/8104 (T) 082 551 2796 (C) 012 3233693 (F) mpsmithers@sghq.pwv.gov.za