Cooler heads prevail
It is good to see the Ministry of Land Reform and various stakeholders holding meetings in a spirit of fraternal cooperation and mutual understanding ahead of the second land conference.
We have always advocated for cooler heads to prevail when debating the contentious issue of land reform.
The authorities have provided the necessary platform where stakeholders have been making submissions to this effect.
The land reform ministry should be commended for being professional in the handling of the consultative meetings countrywide even though challenges were observed here and there.
It must be noted that the land issue is a complex one and this problem must be carefully dealt with. It is important for participants in the debate not to distract from what should be a constructive conversation about seeking solutions to the problem at hand.
The various stakeholders must work together to chart a path forward, which will ultimately lead to better and inclusive resolutions at the September indaba.
Much of the debate over the past few months has been on the issues of ancestral land rights as well as the under-fire resettlement programme, which has been widely criticised in many quarters.
We must admit there have been mistakes in the past when it comes to the land resettlement programme and the onus is on those who are responsible for the allocation of units to ensure that this national key priority programme is fair, open and transparent.
As a pressing need, we also need to see more dialogue centred on the issue of urban land, which the local authorities are grappling with at the moment.
Responsive strategies are indeed needed to contain the runaway housing backlog, which stands at over 100 000 units.
There is no denying that houses in this country have been vastly more expensive over the past decade than they have been at any point.
We simply can't afford a place to call home anymore and solutions to the acute housing shortage must be openly debated.
Clearly those who need affordable housing must be given an opportunity to get onto the housing ladder.
We have always advocated for cooler heads to prevail when debating the contentious issue of land reform.
The authorities have provided the necessary platform where stakeholders have been making submissions to this effect.
The land reform ministry should be commended for being professional in the handling of the consultative meetings countrywide even though challenges were observed here and there.
It must be noted that the land issue is a complex one and this problem must be carefully dealt with. It is important for participants in the debate not to distract from what should be a constructive conversation about seeking solutions to the problem at hand.
The various stakeholders must work together to chart a path forward, which will ultimately lead to better and inclusive resolutions at the September indaba.
Much of the debate over the past few months has been on the issues of ancestral land rights as well as the under-fire resettlement programme, which has been widely criticised in many quarters.
We must admit there have been mistakes in the past when it comes to the land resettlement programme and the onus is on those who are responsible for the allocation of units to ensure that this national key priority programme is fair, open and transparent.
As a pressing need, we also need to see more dialogue centred on the issue of urban land, which the local authorities are grappling with at the moment.
Responsive strategies are indeed needed to contain the runaway housing backlog, which stands at over 100 000 units.
There is no denying that houses in this country have been vastly more expensive over the past decade than they have been at any point.
We simply can't afford a place to call home anymore and solutions to the acute housing shortage must be openly debated.
Clearly those who need affordable housing must be given an opportunity to get onto the housing ladder.
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