Mzwanele Nyhontso, the minister of the newly established department of land reform and rural development, has vowed to put the needs of the people central to his work and unlock opportunities as he tackles the stubborn land restitution agenda.
Food For Mzansi spoke to Nyhontso on the sidelines of his maiden budget vote in parliament. He said the government of national unity is going to work for every South African regardless of their political affiliation.
Tiisetso Manoko: What have been your tasks since assuming office as the minister of land reform and rural development?
Mzwanele Nyhontso: My tasks in the department and government are very huge because it deals with something that affects our people, it deals with what we have called the item of conflict. So our priority as the department is land redistribution and security of tenure.
Rural development has been an area that has been ignored so it will be on our priority list. We will also be addressing the backlogs of land claims that have been sitting in the department for quite some time. That is what we will be focusing on henceforth.
What will be your approach in dealing with the backlog of land claims?
It is something that cannot continue being brushed aside any longer, it needs a different approach which we are busy with officials crafting. But first, we must understand through the department what has been the challenges, what is happening, [and] why has it taken so long for land claims to be settled.
We will also look at the issue of budgets which we know has been a challenge for many years. It is without a doubt that land claims will be given much-needed attention in this administration.
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How will your department align itself with other industry role players to address the challenges of rural development and land reform?
It is very important to have strong public-private partnerships (PPPs). As the department, we will make the land available once it is available. We will need the private sector to assist communities to grow through investment in those particular areas. So, as the department, we will be strengthening existing relations and establishing new ones.
Your party [PAC] has been vocal about land expropriation; now that you are in government, what will be your stance?
Our approach is clear to return the land to its rightful owners, which is the Africans and that approach will succeed. People must get the land, there is no doubt about that. You do not have to be a member of the Pan African Parliament or any organisation to understand that the problems of this country emanate from landlessness.
So I will fight for land redistribution [and] land restitution, and at the end of the day, it will be land restoration which is what we have been advocating for.
As a new minister of a newly formed department, what message can you give to ordinary South Africans?
My message is that people without land must expect to get their land. We must work together, all of us, to make sure that people get their land. Once a person has land, they have dignity. We see this as an opportunity to fast-track the issue that has been hanging for a long time of ensuring that people get the land and we resolve it for future generations.
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