| Foreword from the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs |
Ms Lulu Xingwana Over the years, the State has delivered almost 4 million hectares of land to beneficiaries of the land reform programme, including the Restitution process. We have, however, come to the realisation that the majority of the beneficiaries require comprehensive support in order to ensure the sustainability of projects. There is a need for a turnaround strategy towards settlement support for beneficiaries of the land reform programme.I am pleased to present a detailed Settlement and Implementation Support Strategy which, with the support of Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), has been developed through a detailed process of engaging very many players practically involved in land and agrarian reform across the country over the past 18 months – including the men and women living on the land and striving to make a success, the government officials who are supporting them, and the private sector and civil society players active in these initiatives. The Strategy highlights the complexity and importance of our task. In its review of the evidence the document provides a detailed and sometimes critical analysis of the current situation in the land reform projects that have been transferred to date. We welcome this evidence-based approach, as it is clear that successful land reform involves much more than the restoration and redistribution of land. The SIS Strategy draws from the experience of land delivery to date, and clearly sets out the content of support that is needed by men and women in their attempts to achieve sustainable development on the land that they have acquired through the land reform programme. It shows that land reform cannot just depend on the Department of Land Affairs, the National Department of Agriculture, or the departments of agriculture at provincial level. People acquiring land must manage vital natural resources sustainably and be able to secure water rights through government's programme of water allocation reform. They must be enabled to produce for themselves and the market and require access to finance, equipment, technical and business support. They require support to develop institutions which transparently manage land rights and benefits. They may need housing, services and roads. They require access to health, education and social development benefits. The Strategy draws on the provisions of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act (Act 13 of 2005) to put forward proposals for settlement and implementation support to be delivered by means of a joint programme of government, spearheaded by the DLA in partnership with public and private roleplayers. This SIS Strategy is being discussed in detail within the Department of Land Affairs, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights and the National Department of Agriculture. Further discussions are also taking place with other key departments and its adoption as the comprehensive joint strategy by the spread of key departments involved will be decided upon in the future. In the interim, this Strategy provides a significant guide to all land and agrarian reform planning and implementation. Let us use it to achieve not only the delivery of land to those who are in need and were previously dispossessed, but to ensure that this land provides a significant change in the quality of life for our people.  Ms Lulu Xingwana Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs September 2007 
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