Feature

1. Editorial

Women's Day

2. Mbeki inspires the nation Through Tamana

3. Didiza explains the symbolism and meaning of Women's Day

4. Days of lip service to gender equality over

5.North-West holds a workshop to celebrate women's day

6. Poetry

6.1 I am a woman

6.2 daughters of the soil

6.3 Sister

Editorial

I have spoken with one of my colleagues about the conspicuous silence and non-activity on the matter in our department. He suggested that I go around and ask whether there is anyone who has heeded the call. I think there is no need for that and it will be a futile exercise. Such thinking is provoked by the belief that if there was activity around the award, such information would have long been public knowledge through reliable sources and other information agents of the DLA. I have no reason to believe that there is anyone sitting on that kind of information.

Somewhere in the pages of this publication our Director-General, Dr Gilingwe Mayende, says the days of lip service on gender equality in our department are over. He may have referred to gender equality, but his message is applicable to all spheres of delivery. He further emphasises that those of us who claim to be serious about it must be judged by our actions. In its own way his sayings can be described as just pure coincidence with my next paragraph.

I do not exactly know whether the saying "actions speak louder than words" is a proverb or just another way of saying things. I am trying to say that if there was concrete evidence in the department confirming that the Minister's call did not fall on deaf ears, there would be no need for me to even ask about the subject.

Nobody can say our ladies in the DLA have not done anything that deserves an applaud in the form of an award. I think there are women that in their strides have made a difference in the lives of others in the DLA. Even though I have had a brief encounter with our female beneficiaries I am sure in this country in some community there is a lady who is always selflessly striving to improve the lives of others. It is also possible that the ladies I rate highly in their activities can score lower than the ones I do not know in other components of the DLA and in our projects.

I may as well be specific and say I have met in the North-West a lady in one of our projects persevering under volatile circumstances and trying conditions. I do not say she is the best. But, who knows?

I do not know who was supposed to have made a follow up on the call. How I wish whoever he/she is could have done so. It will be a pity to see one or more of our people's activities being recognised and highlighted elsewhere while we never even attempted to give the person the respect she deserves. We may applaud a recognition coming elsewhere, but why are we not using a chance that has been afforded to us to do so. I think such an applaud would sound hollow to those we will be extending it to, simply because we "refused to applaud" them when we were asked to do so.

One may disagree with me on this, but, I am sure this is the most positive statement I have made since the beginning of this century. And, I dare say it is constructive.

President

After President Thabo Mbeki's speech at the Union Buildings on Women's Day I could not hold back my broad smile the whole afternoon. I think this spilled over to the evening and the following day. The reason is that South Africa has many government departments and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and ourselves made it into the President's speech on what we do in championing gender equality in our activities. To those who are paving the way, I say keep it up "boys and girls".

Racism

You, who have no work, speak.

You, who have no homes, speak.

You, who have no schools, speak.

You, who have to run like chickens from the vultures, speak.

We must free ourselves.

I opened the road for you.

The celebration and commemoration included the unveiling of a monument dedicated to the 1956 march and portraits of some of the women who led that march. The portraits included those of Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Raheeda Moosa and Sophie De Bruin and some of the survivors of the march were present to witness a symbolic victory of their struggle.

President Mbeki said through the erection of the monument we do not only look back at the past heroic deeds of the women of our land, but we also seek to celebrate the continued achievements of the women of this country as they, together with the men and for future generations, seek to lay the foundations for a better life. He said we pay tribute to the 20 000 women who marched on Pretoria in 1956 and honour them for their selfless contribution to the struggle to bring about a free and a democratic country and to place gender equality on the national agenda as a central part of our democratic revolution.

"As we officially launch the Women's Monument, we pay tribute to our mothers, sisters and daughters who were and are equal combatants for the all-round liberation of all our people. We remember the protests of South African women during the 1950s in the towns and the rural areas as they protested against the pass laws and apartheid oppression", President Mbeki said.

President Mbeki continued and mentioned that one of our biggest challenges is the implementation and conversion of the policies we have put in place so that they have concrete meaning to the women of our country. In highlighting some of the government's activities in ensuring gender equality he mentioned the following:

* Government has adopted an integrated approach for the advancement of gender equality at all levels. This integrated approach has meant the mainstreaming of gender interests in the core business of government departments in such a manner that gender is incorporated in all their programmes. In this regard, the Department of Justice has taken the idea of gender units further and initiated a process of establishing gender desks in all magistrates' courts. While the Department of Land Affairs has a multi-level strategy for gender transformation which includes a Gender Forum which deals with gender practices within the Department as well as a Land Reform Project which assesses the needs of land reform beneficiaries.

* In the fight for an end to poverty, there is now a conscious effort to engender poverty programmes and taking an integrated approach to gender programmes.

* The health of women has emerged as a national priority area for government. In this regard, we have successfully embarked on programmes such as school health promotion programmes, the building and upgrading of clinics particularly in poor areas, free health care policy and AIDS training and information centres.

* In our struggle to defeat violence against women, we have worked out an integrated response to this problem, forging strong partnerships with civil society and retraining police and social workers with regard to the handling of victims of sexual violence. We have also started a programme of ensuring that courts are user-friendly for victims of abuse and brought about laws that ensure minimum sentences for perpetrators of sexual abuse. Some of the laws that are aimed at protecting women include the Maintenance Act, the Domestic Violence Act and the Employment Equity Act which also covers sexual harassment.

President Mbeki further added that South Africa is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and is also committed to the Beijing Platform of Action. He said we participated in the Beijing plus Five Conference in New York from 05 to 09 June 2000.

"The form that women's participation takes at this crucial time of transition will have a significant impact on the shape of the resulting democracy, as well as the subsequent impact of new democratic institutions on the lives of women. Our resolve as a government is to ensure the progress made in increasing the number of women in decision-making positions at all levels of the political structure translates into real empowerment of women. It is only through the active involvement of women in political organisations, in research groups, in civic education and through advocacy that we truly strengthen our democracy", President Mbeki said.

In his concluding remarks President Mbeki mentioned that "While on this occasion we pay tribute to the strength of the women who participated in the struggle for national liberation, to their sacrifice, unity, and to the rich tradition of organisation and mobilisation of women, today we must also pay tribute to the pioneering and significant role of women today in the arts, in the sciences, in education, in health, in business, and in community development".

Earlier on there was a symbolic march to the Union Buildings led by Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and the veterans of the 1956 march. During the unveiling President Mbeki, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology Dr Ben Ngubane and 12 veterans proceeded up the stairs while a voice-over read the inscriptions of each stair. President Mbeki unveiled the monument, the veterans formed a solemn half-circle behind the monument while the voice-ever was saying "Malibongwe embokodweni".

After the speeches entertainment became the order of the moment. Choral music was presented by a male choir, the Luthuli Choir, Youth Choir and the Leboneng Choir.

There was jazz, fusion, gospel and dance music. There was also traditional and contemporary dancing.

By T K Sonjica

Dr Mayende said celebrations like those present an opportunity for assessing how well people are doing with regard to the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality. He said South Africa took a positive stance of women in the first instance by adopting what is one of the most democratic constitutions in the world.

Extracting from President Mbeki's state of the Nation Address in July 1999 he said, "What will guide us in everything we do will be the challenge to build a caring society. This society must guarantee the dignity of every citizen on the basis of a good quality of life for every woman, man and child, without regard to race, colour or disability. It must be sustained by a growing economy capable of extending sustainable and equitable benefits to our people".

"It is just over six years since our country became a democracy, where virtually all the new laws, policies and programmes of our government seek to address the needs of both women and men, girls and boys. Our government's commitment is also demonstrated by the fact that it has signed international instruments such as the Beijing Platform of Action, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, etc.", Dr Mayende said.

"A lot more, however, still needs to be done. First we must strengthen the administrative, co-ordinating and implementation structures and systems within our departments, in order to ensure that they are oriented for meaningful delivery. We must also ensure that it becomes one of the key outputs of our senior managers, both female and male, to demonstrate practically that they not only support it as an ideal, but they practise gender equality", he continued.

"This must be reflected in new patterns of appointments at all levels of the personnel structure, particularly the senior management level. In our department I will not rest until a plan is in a place that seeks to achieve gender equity and empowerment in a meaningful way. This plan must locate gender equity at the centre of the departmental transformation programme, along with racial equity. Our Gender Unit will lead us in this regard and my role will be to ensure that the various operational units of the department make clear and unambiguous commitments and are disciplined in the way they approach this issue", he added.

Dr Mayende went further and stated that the DLA has also developed human resource management policies that seek to meet the provision of the Beijing Platform of Action on the issue of Women in power and in decision-making. He said more still had to be done and the achievements registered thus far are encouraging.

Dr Mayende, acknowledging from the provisions of the Beijing Platform of Action, agreed that we need to address issues of violence against women which affect both our DLA staff as well as the beneficiary communities. In conclusion he said if we are vigorous and decisive in our approach, we will achieve even greater success in addressing sensitive and critical issues, and we must have unity of purpose across racial and gender lines, and be realistic in both our demands and expectations.

The Chief Executive Officer in the Office of the Status of Women in the Presidency, Dr Ellen Kornegay said they co-ordinate the gender programme which is broader than women issues. She said they look at the transformation of state departments.

She added that they are the facilitators of the gender programme and are responsible for the policy formulation, audit and evaluation. She said the actual work on gender issues has to be done by government departments.

 "We are responsible for ensuring that government departments engender transformation. The gender programme has to be integrated with the mainstream activities of a department", she said.

Dr Kornegay said it is important for her office to devolve some of their responsibilities to government departments. She said they also have to comply with constitutional responsibilities.

"One of the biggest challenges of the gender programme is that there no clear indicators. Because of that you find senior managers having problems with it", she said.

The celebration had a powerful contingent of representation of DLA offices across the country and many of the women were in their traditional attire. There were also representatives from the Land Bank and the National Land Committee.

The day's programme included a play by the Sibikwa Players from Benoni on rape and women abuse. It is an emotional play and is serious in addressing rape and women abuse society is facing, especially because it empasises on the rape of children and the elderly.

Mr John Morapama, an actor and a comedian kept the audience laughing in his presentation on violence against women. When seriously speaking, he said a woman is the soul of the nation and there is no excuse to abuse her. "Mothers introspect yourselves for you have sons and their marriages are going down and you have to be their support systems", he said.

She said there has been various requests from the community partners for the office to host a workshop which will address the question of participation of women in land reform projects and in particular, their participation in legal entity structures.

Women also wanted people in Trusts or Communal Property Associations that are responsible for the day to day management of  projects to be trained. There is a realisation that enough capacity has to be built to enable these legal entities to manage their projects in a sustainable post transfer manner.

PLAN OUTLINE

The workshop addressed skills shortage in the following areas:

1. Economic literacy for communities

Aim: Communities need to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the Budgeting process by Parliament and how each province and line function departments, get allocated their budgets. There is always a complaint about Land Affairs being allocated the smallest budget compared to other departments.

2. Fundraising

Aim: There is also the problem of projects which have to resort to loans in order to finance additional development costs. Fundraising, albeit difficult, is an alternative option.

3. AIDS AWARENESS

Aim : To raise awareness of the disease within the rural social context

4. Motivation & Gallery display

Aim: To motivate and encourage women to participate in projects.

- Create a balance, manage your working and home responsibilities

- Steps to build self-confidence

Encouraging women to participate in projects - looking at benefits for self- growth and development.

Top of page

I AM A WOMAN

(Read by the author at DLA Women's Day)

I AM LIKE A CHICKEN PROTECTING ITS CHICKS FROM THE EAGLE

I AM THE ONE WHO ENSURES SECURITY OF THE FAMILY, NURTURING CHILDREN TO ADULTHOOD

I AM THE ONE WHO OPENS HER TENDER ARMS TO FEED AND WELCOME ALL

I AM THE ONE WHO PROTECTS THE HUSBAND WHO COMES HOME EMPTY HANDED

I AM THE ONE WHOSE ARMS ARE ALWAYS READY TO PROVIDE PROTECTION, LOVE AND CARE

I AM A WOMAN, THE UNIFYING FORCE, LIKE WATER TRANSFORMING SAND TO SOLID ROCK

FOR ALL THIS, I AM STILL CALLED:

A BITCH

A WHORE

A PROSTITUTE

AN ALCOHOLIC

AN INCOMPLETE AND DEPENDANT PERSON

I AM A WOMAN: STRUGGLING TO RAISE DOCTORS, LAWYERS, CRIMINALS, NURSES, AND PRIESTS FROM MY OFFSPRING

HOW POSSIBLE IS IT, IS INCONSEQUENTIAL,

ALL I EVER ASK IS RESPECT IN MY LIFETIME

AM I A ROLE MODEL OR A CURSE TO MY CHILDREN

ALL I KNOW IS I AM A WOMAN

WEAK ON THE OUTSIDE BUT, EMOTIONALLY STRONG

WOMAN NEVER TO QUIT, NEVER TO QUIT

MY EMOTIONS ARE MANY AND VARIED

SWEET, WARM AND TENDER

HARSH, CRUEL AND BITTER

DELICATE, TENDER AND IRREPARABLE

SCARRED, UGLY AND BEAUTIFUL

DIFFICULT TO DISCERN

BENEATH THE VEIL I PRESENT TO THE WORLD

Nhlanhla Mazibuko of the KwaZulu-Natal RLCC spoke to Ms Thabi Shange, the newly appointed Regional Land Claims Commissioner for KwaZulu-Natal. Before going into their dialogue, Nhlanhla gives us Thabi's brief profile and states that:

She also participated in black entrepreneurship. Her specific focus is on the rural areas, hence she is currently a member of Khula Enterprise Finance, Chairperson of African Development Education Network, member of Development Innovations and Networks, and Chairperson of Philisisizwe Enterprise Support.

Thabi has travelled widely around the globe. She has been to Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, the US, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland and Ghana.

NHLANHLA MAZIBUKO : Tell me, who is Thabi?

THABI SHANGE : I was born in KwaNgwanase, North of KwaZulu-Natal. My family members belonged to the Independent Church Ministries. I later converted to the Catholic Church. I finished my Primary Education at Star of the Sea School at KwaNgwanase. I proceeded to St Joseph’s Secondary School in Manzini, Swaziland where I completed my secondary education. I ended doing my High School Education at St Theresa Girls' High School, also in Swaziland where I passed my Matric.

NM : What you told me about is your days at school prior to entry to tertiary education. What are your tertiary qualifications?

TS : I hold a Diploma in Education from William Pitcher Teachers Training College, Swaziland. I obtained my BA and Certificate in Education from the National University of Lesotho, BA Honours in Development from the University of the Witwatersrand and an MBA from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. I specialised in Finance and Marketing.

NM : You switched from Education and Development towards Business. What was the motive behind all that?

TS : I believe in economical, institutional and managerial black empowerment. Furthermore, business approach development, developing financial viability and bankability of rural businesses, organisations and access to credit by rural business entities, stimulation of women and youth entrepreneurship. That is why I felt an MBA will equip and arm me to meet my aspirations.

NM : People have different experiences in life. Some are good, others are bad. Tell me about your most memorable and meaningful ones?

TS : To me it is the strong rural background, having a strong passion for rural life and achievements in a rural setting. Through my experiences, I believe that development in rural areas should take a business approach. This is to avoid a repeat of what happened in the past when the rural communities were victims of marginilisation. I see the rural people as the source of income and wealth for the whole of South Africa and could be vehicles of tangible and lasting results.

What is memorable to me is that when my mother passed away in 1992, there was an infrastructure for development, which was aligned to production, access to information and mobility of a rural community. Furthermore, there was running water, electricity supply, telephone lines etc.

NM : That is interesting to learn. Now what do you construe as your main value/s in life?

TS : I will be brief in answering your question. It is integrity, honesty, commitment and humanity (ubuntu). I literally get crazy when I see rural people being abused.

NM : You have worked for the NGO Sector throughout your career. Now that you have joined the Commission, it will require you to reconcile beaurocratic orders and processes from the government. How will you marry the two?

TS : Commitment to delivery is one crucial point. One should have a scope for policy direction, information and policy implementation. To monitor delivery of substance services to people. I am convinced that this is what the government wants to achieve, a better life for all. We need to streamline critical services to communities and commit hard work to achieve all this.

We need to learn principles from Batho-Pele whose primary objective is people first. I am saying this because people have been victims of critical years of deprivation, marginalisation and being undermined. The commission faces the challenge to move very fast in settling claims. This will help to heal the wounds of the past.

NM : You will agree that your vested interest is within the rural communities and their development, one would ask why a rural bias?

TS : I will repeat saying that I have a passion for, an interest in and a full commitment to rural areas. Rural people have the culture of respect. But it should be known that they are starved of critical information, that is social and economic information. It should be considered that they are in fact the backbone of the wealth of the nation and they are of paramount significance. Rural people have been used by generalists as stepping-stones to fulfil their lot.

NM : Given the time frame for the Commission to accomplish its mission which reflects a very tight programme, how do you see yourself coping with the demands of your work and your family simultaneously?

TS : I have a work culture and can compromise personal issues whether they are good or not. I am a workaholic and have little time to rest. I do take into account my family and friends, but work comes first.

NM : In your opinion, what do you think will be the future of restitution in South Africa?

TS : We have the legal and constitutional frameworks which are a big advantage. Let people get back the land. This will ensure asset based development. NgesiZulu amafa ezingane namafa okudlondlobalisa umnotho. Where there are no assets, forget about economic development, any viability or sustainability.

By restoring land to the people, we ensure restoration of assets, which becomes a springboard for economic development. Land should never be compromised. This is because ‘mawungenanto ethi wena awuyi ndawo’.

NM : KwaZulu-Natal is the region with the highest number of claims. What would you like to promise your claimants?

Joy is a Survey Officer employed at the Surveyor-General's office in Pretoria. Her work includes working with aerial photos for the whole of South Africa and she also handles ortho-photos, topo-cadastral photos and topography.

Joy says her singing started when she was about three years old and when she was five years old her sister took her to school and she surprised everyone there by singing any song they asked her to sing. She is a full member of the Anglican Church and concedes that the church contributed a lot in developing her singing and that is where she still sings   most of the time.

Joy is a member of the Garankuwa Community Choir and agrees that she has undergone some formal musical training. Because of her heavy voice she says she has undertaken voice training in order to be able to reach the high notes.

Joy is also the leader of the 4 Voices of Joy, a gospel group, which she says is like a family group because the other singers of the group are her cousins. She says they have not recorded yet and her group normally performs wherever they are invited  and hence bless those listening to their music.

"I have never thought of making music a full-time career. The music business has many people who have been ripped off because of contractual agreements. There is also a lack of understanding of what is happening within the music industry", Joy said.

Joy says in music one learns something new everyday because of the many styles of the artform. "If I were to be offered a lucrative recording contract I would look at it and understand their terms and conditions first before signing with them. I would also look at the company's track reckord, because in the music industry many people have had problems with recording companies", Joy added.

"I write my own songs and I sing any song that comes my way provided it carries a message. My style of music can be termed gospel and I like rhythm and blues songs. I also love Afro-Jazz and at this moment 'Lakusho' iLanga' is my favourite song", Joy said and rendered a few bars of the classical song.

"My role model is Sibongile Khumalo because of her music, her personal life and the way she presents herself. My favourite overseas musicians are Bebe and Cece Wynans", she says.

"My grandmother was a pianist, my mother a singer and my daughter is another great singer who only listens to a song once in order to acquaint herself with it", Joy says when talking about the influencies of music in her family.

"Christianity has an influence in me and I think the fact that I am almost always writing gospel songs reveals that. I have never written a ballad before", Joy concedes.

Joy's hobbies naturally include music and she loves netball and writing poems. She is a member of the Sea Horses Netball Team that won the first DLA intra-departmental tournament in Cape Town in May 2000 and she is one of the writers of the Surveyor-General Office's newsletter.

Karin Driescher, a colleague at the Surveyor-General's Office, says when Joy arrived at their office they were struck by her friendliness and once they met her they realised that there was something special about her. She says she is the one who started their multi-cultural choir in their office.

"Whenever we ask her to render us a musical item she is always ready. It does not matter if she has to render a solo, her voice always is a wonder to listen to. I think if she can get a sponsor she can be an opera singer", Karin said.

"Joy's music and poetry can motivate and inspire people with the message they carry. I can sometimes relate to her regarding my problems and the message of her music and poetry", Karin concluded.

Rani Ramnaidoo who was one of the people involved organising intra-departmental netball tournament had the following to say about Joy:

Thakadu who works as Administrative Officer at the Public Land Inventory Directorate told Journal that he was involved with the formation of the DLA National Office Soccer Team, (ama-Gents) in 1998, and in that process noticed that there was absolutely nothing to keep the ladies busy. He said when he approached the DLA ABET students, they were ready for the idea of a choir for the National Office.

Thakadu added that from that day the choir has been growing and strengthening. In the choir they accept any chorister even though they encourage more DLA personnel to join the choir. He acknowledged that the choir has a few members coming from other government departments that the DLA shares its accommodation with.

Thakadu told Journal that his choir has provided musical items for departmental functions and mentioned Women's Day, HIV/AIDS Day, ABET Day and farewell functions. He said the choir has not yet been involved in any musical competitions.

He said one problem he foresees when they are ready for music competitions is acquiring uniform and getting transport or finance for transport to the places they want to visit. " I think it will be great if the Department can have its own inter-departmental music competition. For example, the Johannesburg Deeds Office has already asked us if we are ready for a competition", Thakadu said.

"Another problem we have regarding practices is that the times sometimes coincide with ABET classes and that is not what we want. But we believe that at the end things will be perfect", Thakadu said.

When asked about his musical experience, Thakadu said he started choral music with the Pretoria Adult Choir in 1969 under the baton of Mr Simon Makgalemele. "In actual fact the music bug caught me at Higher Primary in Mamelodi under the influence of the same Mr Makgalemele", he said.

He said he started conducting in 1978 by helping other adult and church choirs. He said he also helped them with reading notes, pronunciations, and the stature of the choir - basically in all fields related to the theory of music.

" I have traveled throughout the world because of music. I have gone to Holland, England where I sang for Prince Charles and Lady Di, Rome where I sang for the Pope, Llanelli in Wales and in Paris, France. In South Africa music has taken me to Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Johannesburg, King William's Town and Umtata. In our continent I have visited Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Malawi", Thakadu concluded.

Peggy Khumalo, a DLA teacher, comments as follows about Thakadu "I have come to know that he is a committed, determined and loyal person. He is the kind of person who works hard, he strives for success and perseveres even when the going gets tough. He is a peace maker and a disciplinarian. With all these qualities he has managed to sustain a choir with members who hold diverse norms, values and behaviour, all working together to reach a common goal".

Peggy adds that Thakadu " ... is a friendly and a respected person who deserves all the support he can get from the department to assist in the successful development of the choir. Some people think it is an ABET choir because a large percentage of the membership is ABET learners. That is not a case; anyone in the department can be a member".

Recently the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (M & E) at National Office launched its website with a handful people as an audience in a quiet ceremony at the National Resource Centre.

Upfront, the site states the aim of M & E as to provide analysis to managers and implementers of the programme at a national, provincial and project level. It states that information is intended to facilitate improved performance, by clearly identifying the relevant issues.

M & E's former Director, Mr Indraan Naidoo congratulated his former colleagues for having accomplished their mission. He said the site is going to be useful and is going to be used by other government departments.

When the co-ordinator of the site Ms Makopoi Motsoko said the site is to be linked with the DLA intranet or internet site, Mr Naidoo suggested that the site also be linked up with international M & E sites. He said the site is educational and he has indicated that to the Government Communications and Information Systems (GCIS).

The table of contents of the site has:

• An introduction to M & E which has a guide to M & E at DLA;
• M & E systems;
• Programme and Policy Evaluation;
• Provincial M & E programmes;
• Database/ Archive; and
• A contact list.

M & E systems has the following sub-headings:

* Quality of Life Report;

* Questionnaire;

* Commonage crisis;

* ESTA; and

* Farm Equity Schemes.

Programme and Policy Evaluation contains:

# Diagnotic Evaluation studies;

# DES Process Map;

# Business Plan Report;

# Beneficiary Community Particiaption;

# Writing Terms of Reference; and

# Newsletters.

Provincial M & E Programmes has the following sub-headings:

~ Provincial Reports;

~ Impact of Share Equity Schemes;

~ Reform Challenges; and

~ Guideline for setting Panels (Service Providers).

For easy access to the Database/ Archive one has to have an idea of the title one seeks, its author, the year of publication or its category. Keywords also play an important role in assisting one on whatever one is looking for.

The contact list has all the names of people working in the Directorate at National Office, their telephone numbers, room numbers and e-mail addresses. In its own way the site gives a picture of the structure of M & E.

• Delivery and targeting;
• Access to services;
• Land access and use;
• Poverty rates and livelihood;
• Agricultural activities;
• Communal projects;
• Institutional structures and processes;and
• Expectations and satisfaction.

What also makes the report comprehensive is the fact that it has a background on its existence in the first place. Tables provided illuminate some misconceptions that may arise.

Mr Graham Hallworth from Novell, an international IT company, accompanying a Namibian government delegation on an educational tour told Journal that in his company DLA IT has been described as a model site. Mr Hallworth was responding to a question as to why they had chosen the DLA IT when South Africa has a number of government departments, parastatals and private companies that are considered to be steps ahead as far as IT is concerned.

Mr Hallworth added that the DLA IT was chosen as such because of its strategies and implementation programmes. He said the DLA IT is using its products to their optimum.

"This is one of the best sites I have ever seen and there is no panic in the manner people handle their tasks here. We are greatful to have had the opportunity to take our visiting clients from Namibia to a site like this", he said.

The itinerary of the Namibian delegation at DLA IT included visits to:

• The Development Centre;
• The Webmaster;
• The Network Centre;
• The Beta Test Centre;
• The Help Desk; and
• The Management Network.

Mr Steve Motinga from the Industrial Development Directorate of the Namibian Ministry of Trade and Industry said the reason they made their visit was to look at how they can connect with their outside offices. They have six Regional Offices in Namibia and five Commercial Council Offices all over the world (including Pretoria) and presently there is no link between the Head Office in Namibia and its outside offices.

Mr Motinga said in Namibia, government departments use different kinds of software. He said they are looking at how they can link up as government departments.

"Novell referred us to the DLA and we are reasonably impressed by what is happening here. When comparing the DLA IT with ours, they are more advanced", he said.

Mr Motinga said the DLA, by employing young people at IT was paving careers for them. He said he is impressed by the fact that the Management Network and the Help Desk have no consultants, but only government employees.

Ms Hania Janiurek-Ashipala, the Manager of Information Services of the Namibian Ministry of Trade and Industry said she was extremely impressed by the fact that the DLA has made IT part of its working culture than just having computers with no technical support. She said technical support is important to any IT environment.

Ms Janiurek-Ashipala's impressions on the DLA IT National Office linkages with outside offices coincided with those of her colleague, Mr Motinga. "There seems to be very good interaction between communications and IT at DLA and that makes IT very functional", she said.

Ms Janiurek-Ashipala also echoed Mr Motinga's sentiments regarding the career pathing of young people at DLA IT. She said the presence of young women at DLA IT was encouraging.

"You seem to have succeeded in using IT to help the Department function more effectively and responsively both to need within the department and the public", she concluded.

 The DLA Director for IT, Mr Gerald O'Sullivan said the Namibian visit to the DLA IT is significant in the sense that out of all government departments in South Africa, Novell chose to bring their visitors to the DLA. He said it is also an acknowledgement of what the DLA IT is doing.

"It can also mean that we are one of the departments that are practising what we are supposed to. We are also referred to as the reference site. Novell could have chosen any other department but preferred us", he said.

JO : Gerald, please would you tell the readers something about your own IT background, before you joined the Department.

GO : Well , I started off as an engineering student in 1979, when I learnt to program in Fortran on an IBM mainframe computer. I enjoyed programming more than engineering, so I moved over to IT and carried on as a programmer. Then in the early '80s I went to London where I worked on ICL mainframes, initially writing programs in Cobol, but later I was moved to the technical support team, where we supported a huge number of programmers. At one point we had 120 programmers, working on massive databases for the dairy industry. We had the details of every cow, every pint of milk and every pound of cheese produced.

After that, I worked on mainly financial systems, also running on mainframes. One system I helped design was used to move coins around Britain, because coins always piled up in the Southeast, so the coins were packed and moved in trucks back to banks in the North and West parts of the country. They didn't need a lot of security, because the bags of coins were too heavy to steal. We were very pleased with that system because we used modems, which were still new at that time.

This was the time when PCs were starting to appear on desktops and Unix machines started taking over, so it was the end of the mainframe era. But it was a great experience.

In 1992 I moved back to my home-town of Johannesburg and did some programming on a membership database for COSATU, followed by some database work for the economic research group NIEP. They had a macro-economic model written in Fortran, and I had to learn economics before I could understand how the program worked.

My last job before I came here was Information Systems Manager for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I had to design and implement the network and database. The time scales were terrible, but we did it. In one month we put together the wide-area network, and one month later the database was up and running. We worked day and night, but we had no choice, because there was enormous expectations from the public about the TRC.

JO : So, you joined the Department in 1998 from the TRC. What was your assessment of the Directorate on taking over?

GO : You know, I came to Land Affairs because I was exhausted after the TRC, so I was looking for a less stressful job. I got a job as Technical Assistant for IT at the Department and I thought it would be great - just give advice, write reports, go home before sunset. But one month after I got here, the existing Director left and I discovered that IT was in a big mess, especially in the provincial offices. The consultants who had been on site had done a terrible job, there were no decent databases, the network kept falling down, the e-mail didn't work properly, not all the offices were connected to the network, the full-time staff were treated like second class citizens, and the atmosphere was totally hostile. Every meeting I went to, people attacked IT - it was really bad.

This was at the end of 1998. Early in 1999, we had an Acting-Director, Chris Schalkwyk, who got the admin side sorted out, while I concentrated on building the Core Project Database, and Peter Harms focussed on fixing the network. We had tremendous support from Snakes Nyoka, the Chief Director of Corporate Services, which helped enormously. He was great.

Anyway, the post of Director was advertised, and I applied and got the job. A lot of people thought I was mad to apply because of all the problems, but by that stage, it was clear what had to be done. It was just a question of focussing the Directorate back on the business again - what do the users want?

But it has been uphill all the way. People had no faith in IT, so it has taken a long time to build confidence again.

JO : It's evident that a lot of hard work and resources have gone into modernising the IT infrastructure and improving the way IT works. What are the most important achievements of the last eighteen months?

GO : The first major step was stabilising the network. Peter Harms and his guys did a superb job. They made sure that all the file-servers had the correct software releases, that the cabling was upgraded and there were some offices that had not been connected which they sorted out. Also little things made a big difference, like fixing the air-conditioning in the network centre which was broken. The file-servers were over-heating and failing.

Once the network was stable, we rolled the latest version of GroupWise and got everybody connected on the e-mail. This was also a great success, because we had to move nearly a thousand post-boxes in a very short space of time with a minimum of disruption.

We then rolled out the CPD database for the Implementation branch. This was difficult, because a lot of users were very antagonistic to it, but it has proved its worth. A report from M&E estimates that we have saved the Department around R98 million, because we connected CPD to the Housing database and the Population Registration database, so now provincial offices can identify invalid claims automatically.

The other thing we are really pleased about is the Support Centre. We have software called HEAT which we use to log the calls and keep track of the IT problems. It automatically notifies me when problems are still outstanding. We can also see when the same problems happen over and over again. For example we can see if a user needs extra training, because they log so many calls. Or maybe there is a batch of computers which are faulty, so we stop buying them. This is why it is so important to log calls. If users don't phone, we can't help. The Support Centre manager is Themba Kubheka. He always keeps an eye on things so if you phone, you are guaranteed to get a response. Lettah Dladla and her team in the Support Centre will always sort it out.

Of course, the biggest headache we had last year was Y2K. Nobody really knew what was going to happen when the clock ticked over to the New Year, so we took a belts-and-braces approach. Every system was tested in a laboratory where we simulated the roll-over to make sure it passed the test. Then we had to load certified Y2K-compliant versions of software on every PC. To make sure, we also installed software called Centennial on every PC to test the date and check that the PC was behaving as it should after midnight.

In the end, we got through to the new century without a hitch. Of course, there are people who say it was all a scam to make money because nothing went wrong, but the reality is that we worked damn hard to make sure that everything was going to be OK. Renier Beukes and the Y2K project office did a great job.

JO : I see that you have many more grey hairs than you did when you joined us! Tell us about any setbacks, or frustrations that are to blame for this?

GO : We have had problems with IT support in the regional and provincial offices, because we inherited a regional support contract which is not great. We changed the process to decentralise support, so now the provincial users call for help directly which speeds up the process, but it also means that we often don't know what is going in those offices, because we are not directly involved in solving the problems. So we often can't help until it is too late. But the contract expires in September, so we will come up with a new solution to which we will work out with the decentralisation task team.

Another problem we have is that other people often let us down. Users think that we are not responsive, but meanwhile we are waiting for somebody else to do their bit before we can proceed. So that can be very stressful because the users are frustrated and they blame us.

But the single biggest problem we have is Internet abuse. It kills the network because it is so resource-hungry. Last month the Deeds office in Cape Town was having terrible problems with response times, so the data typists were losing their bonuses, because one anti-social individual was surfing the Net and downloading rubbish during office hours. Now Internet has been banned from the Deeds offices by the Chief Registrar, because of that.

We have developed an Internet policy in consultation with all managers which will be issued shortly. Once the policy is in place, we will monitor the web sites where people go and send the lists to directors so they will know what their staff do. Limited personal use outside of working hours will be allowed, but the point is that the Internet is a tool to help with your work. If you abuse it, you slow the whole network down, you waste time and you waste State resources.

We also have developed policies regarding the use of computers and e-mail, in addition to the Internet policy. They will be implemented within the next few weeks, which will help the Department enormously. We are running an awareness campaign with the help of the Communications Directorate, so watch this space.

JO : Now that the Department has a stable network, what do you see as the focus for the next 12 months or so?

GO : The overall thrust is to use internet technology to deliver data to users. With a stable, robust network infrastructure we can start building an E-Department. Internationally, the trend in public sector IT is to apply E-commerce technology to the State. The tools and concepts are now mature enough to use and have great potential - firstly to deliver data to our own staff no matter where they are and keep them connected to the Department, and secondly to make our information accessible to other Departments and to the public at large.

Our flagship project in this area is the web-enablement of the Deeds Registry System. If you are authorised to use the facility, you will be able to use the Internet to search for properties - the owner, the price paid, the history of ownership - you can imagine how valuable this will be for land reform. It will also open new markets for Deeds data - every estate agent and every conveyancer will use it. Ultimately, even members of the public will be able to access the information. If you buy a house, you will be able to track the process of registration, or you can go house-hunting on the Internet.

Once that system architecture is in place, we will extend it later in the year so that it integrates the Deeds data with land reform data and the spatial data from the Surveyor-General and Surveys and Mapping. So users will be able to print a map of an area and show the property ownership details of the different land parcels.

At the moment, none of this is possible because the data is trapped in databases which are not connected to each other. The technology we are using will integrate the data, without any changes to the existing systems, and create a corporate data warehouse in the process. It will deliver huge benefits to the spatial planning process as well as land reform.

We are also moving the Restitution and CPD databases onto one common platform and integrating them with other land reform-related databases to create one system called LandBase. This will give users the tools they need for holistic land reform planning. For example, a PDLA project officer can see if there is a claim against a piece of land so she can make sure that it is not used for a project.

LandBase will be a central part of the corporate data warehouse so that land reform information is at the heart of spatial planning data.

A big risk factor is bandwidth across the wide-area network, but we are having negotiations with SITA to make sure that the system is fast enough for our needs.

Technology can also be used to help the Department function better as an organisation. We are now starting to look at electronic work-flow and electronic document management. We are being cautious about this, though, because the costs of the resources, training, support and maintenance needed to make sure the system is always running will increase dramatically. There are so many hidden costs and potential pitfalls in trying to set up a paperless office. For a start, it creates an enormous dependency on the network. If your pen runs out of ink, you can carry on working with a pencil, but if your computer breaks down, you will be paralysed. So we are not going to rush into this.

When we started, we inherited an almost dysfunctional directorate, so now that we have stabilised the situation we are consolidating what we have. The next stage is to leverage the processes and technology to increase delivery in IT, and hence increase the Department's capacity to deliver on the ground - pun intended.

JO : Can you tell us about some of the projects that are now underway in the Directorate - projects that support the focus on consolidation, and on maximising the benefits from IT?

GO : Well, firstly we are implementing tools to help us manage the network better. Our next new project is called the Facilities Information System, which will give the Department an integrated network management system. We will integrate the outputs from a variety of network management tools - Border Manager which we use to monitor the Internet, E-Mail Extras which monitors e-mail, the HEAT helpdesk software, Netcensus and Centameter which we use to look for problems on the desktops, as well as the Novell products, Managewise and ZEN. This is a first for government, and as far as we know, nobody in the private sector has done this either.

As part of the decentralisation process, we have our "Hands-on-IT" project which uses the F.I.S. facilities to give directors information about the computer assets in their directorate - what machines are available, how they are used by the staff, are they powerful enough, are they deployed optimally, what sort of problems are happening - so that directors can manage their IT resources to best advantage. Licencing is also an issue, so we need to make sure that the right users have the right software on their desktops.

To make this project a success, we are going to ask each directorate to identify one person who will be our central point of contact. The person does not have to be a computer whizz-kid, but must be enthusiastic and committed to "Hands-On-IT".

On the hardware side, we are moving from directorate to directorate, cleaning machines, doing an audit, checking that users are happy, and refurbishing old machines as we find them. We have already saved the department in the region of R1.4 million by upgrading existing machines instead of buying new hardware. The upgraded machines often run better than new ones, because we are upgrading them to a higher specification.

We are also transforming the way we work as a directorate. The first step is to draw up policies, standards and procedures for IT, so Sandra Sutton and Paul Leigh have been working long hours on the Policy and Procedures Project to get this right. We now work in a purely project-based way, with focussed deadlines, proper resource allocation and change control. Besides helping us work more effectively, we are now in a position to say exactly how long and how much we spent on a project. Susan van Rooyen is co-ordinating this and we are now getting to a point where we can calculate the total cost of ownership of IT to the Department. Cost-benefit analysis should be a crucial part of the way we work. Don't put technology in just because it is sexy - it must have a quantifiable benefit to the Department.

JO : Do you envisage that IT will ever operate in a problem-free environment?

GO : We have thousands of computers, each of which is a mechanical device that will pack in at some point, because silicon degrades, hard-drives wear out, or power supply units fail. And every year a new model comes out, with its own problems, and then you can't get spares for the old machines. The computers run software applications which inevitably have flaws because they are created by human beings. The programs interact with the machine and with each other in an almost infinite number of combinations, and the software must be upgraded every few months. Then the paper jams, dust gets into the disk drive, lightening strikes, or copper cable gets stolen. And all the time, users are hammering away on the keyboard, day in and day out. It amazes me that it actually all works in the first place.

No, problems are inherent in the system. But what we can do is anticipate problems and take steps to minimise disruption. A good disaster recovery procedure is essential, to make sure that the skills and equipment are on hand to respond quickly to a problem.

And the environment is never constant. The technology changes continuously, people change, new users join the Department, things break down. The Department itself changes. New offices open, others close, new databases have to be built and information flows change.

IT can only cope if it is also always changing, continuously improving, moving forward with the organisation itself. Only when I.T. is firmly locked into the business processes will it be a success.

JO : If there was one message you could pass on to staff in the Department what would it be?

GO : It would be to say help us to help you. With your support and co-operation, we can make IT a great success and the Department will benefit as a whole. Log calls at the Helpdesk, read and understand the policies, and make the best use of your computer that you can.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate's Two Day Teambuilding Workshop held at Krugersdorp recently was not a "Mickey mouse thing" for it preferred to address negative issues and attitudes than concentrating on partying and playing games and thereafter returning to the same shells that are a cause for concern in the first place. T K Sonjica from Journal attended the workshop and narrates the story in this article.

Before the workshop many of the staff members of the Directorate were interviewed confidentially and individually by Thabo Khanye from the Organisational Development Directorate where people poured out their hearts about impediments in the M & E Directorate. At the workshop issues raised were not attached to any individual and this gave those interviewed anonymity about what they said in the interviews.

Stan De Klerk of Khensani Consulting, the facilitators, described the objectives of the workshop as to:

• Identify causes of dysfunction and tension; and
• Develop a set of action plans to eradicate destructive conflict.

"All team building has to work in the workplace. In this workshop we will only create a framework to facilitate for its success in the workplace", Stan said. He added that people must deal with issues frankly, openly and constructively.

The issues that came under spot light were summarised by Stan as follows:

• Lines of communication (both vertical and horizontally) were not always as effective as they should have been (this caused a perception that information was being withheld and that some people especially Whites had hidden "power" agendas);
• The perception that some decisions were taken outside of the proper structures or forums. This re-inforced the belief that some people had dubious agendas;
• There was a feeling that there was insufficient consultation when decisions are taken especially in one of the sub-directorates;
• Confusion also existed between job descriptions and work-plans. This confusion was easily cleared up by way of illustrating the similarities and differences between job descriptions and work plans;
• Dissatisfaction with the manner in which PPMS' is administered. Consequently this created a feeling amongst others that their efforts were being valued less than the efforts of others. There was also a feeling that "ad hoc" tasks in particular were not being evaluated properly. The improper or inconsistent implementation of the PPMS also created the feeling amongst others that generally the reward and recognition system was not fair and consistent; and
• The stationing of a photocopier in a particular person's office also created a problem.

The facilitators also identified the following issues which they described as relationship related issues:

• There were perceptions that racism existed in the directorate. People quoted a number of examples in support of this belief, e.g. taking of decisions outside established forums, withholding of information, residual racist perceptions rooted in stereotypical views, etc. Others felt some people "look for racism even where there is none";
• Lack of sensitivity. There was a view that some people were not sensitive enough and sometimes inadvertently and unintentionally hurt others;
• There was also a perception that cliques existed. However during the workshop no evidence was proffered to substantiate this;
• There was a feeling that some relationships blurred the distinctions between professionalism and friendship. This created perceptions of favouritism; and
• There was a perception that the department exhibited a general lack of a culture of feedback, especially positive feedback. This resulted in people harbouring grievances, grudges etc. and not dealing with relatively minor conflicts timeously and constructively.

In their conclusion on the workshop, the facilitators state that the team does have the potential to function as an effective and a cohesive unit. They say this goal can be attained in the short to medium term if a number of areas receive special attention and some of them are:

• Finalisation of action plans;
• Training, especially sensitivity, diversity and conflict resolution and management training; and
• Correcting of some of the task related issues mentioned in the report.

The facilitators state that the success of all of this contingent depends on the genuineness and commitment of each individual member of the team. They add that it is imperative that a critical mass of team members commits to and champions the process as soon as possible.

The debates of the workshop had their controversies. As an example some of the victims of the issues raised never spoke or articulated any issues. They preferred to be quiet and Stan had to ask everybody individually about their views on issues at M & E, and strangely enough, even then they had nothing to say.

At a certain stage it was announced that some participants felt that the facilitators were not adequately addressing the issues. Stan told the participants that the onus of building the DLA M & E team rests with its staff and not the facilitators. "There is no team that can tolerate passengers. I believe that seeds for building this team have been sawn and I think this will be taken forward", he said.

Stan later added that black people had to speak out so as to change the situation in the country. "We must also understand that before long we will run out of excuses", he said.

Mike Worsnip, the Acting Director of M & E said, "We come from a particular history and I do not think that there is anyone who can say that history has not affected us. We are all affected by this disease called racism either as oppressors or victims". He said Whites should be sensitive to the black people and give them a chance.

Mike said as a manager one has to trust one's staff and thereafter the manager and his/her staff must be accountable to each other. He said the manager is also accountable to his/her staff.

At the end of the workshop, he described the two days as difficult ones and said people must not expect that when they return to their offices there will be no issues. He said he had seen commitment from participants to make a change and alluded to the workshop as a first step.

He said the issues raised at the workshop were not insurmountable. He said they have to commit themselves to more teambuilding exercises and not wait for crisis situations.

Charl Goodwin said "We are our worst enemies regarding issues of racism and sexism. When they are raised we try to justify them. People tend to look for racism even if it is not there". He said the Director has to give direction as to which way each sub-directorate should be going.

Fana Jiyane said blacks must stand up and be counted. He said they must speak out.

The scene was set and all the staff was informed to dress casual and to be prepared for a day of fun.

Three busses were arranged to transport the passengers, the destination was unknown to the majority. The organising committee had travelled in their private vehicles and activities were laid out and awaited the masses. The first two busses arrived at the expected hour only to hear that the third bus had broken down and also got lost on the way. Eventually it arrived and  it's frustrated passengers quickly disembarked, afraid of missing some of the fun.

With everybody now present at the Derdepoort Regional Park ten teams were announced made up with a complete spread of ranks per team. Instruction sheets and fixture lists were handed to each team. It was at this stage that the unknown became a reality and the plan came into action.

Each team had to appoint a team leader, rank of lower than Chief Industrial Technician, and allocate participants for each activity. Again the unknown awaited the teams as a mystery activity, as a finale, lay ahead.

The five activities for each team's participation were as follows:

• Water carrying in cups via an obstacle course to fill a bucket;
• Soccer dribbling through beacons, the dribbler being blindfolded and verbally assisted by his/her colleagues;
• Egg tossing, to determine who has soft hands;
• Relay medley, with each leg being: a 3 legged race, bean bag balanced on head, sack race, egg and spoon race and a chariot carry; and
• Golf chipping into an upturned umbrella and the longest drive with aerated practice balls.

Managers participated with messengers, male and female, black and white, young and old and the disabled. Activities were planned in such a way that the staff would experience what it was like to be disabled.

With each team having completed the five activities the mystery activity was announced. Wheelchairs were to be the order of the moment. Teams participating against each other to see who could master the distance requiring four participants per team. The energy used by the participants and the verbal support by colleagues was exhausting and this set the scene for a well deserved break and lunch.

Even during the lunch break, teams were busy preparing for their stage play, which by the way was only brought to their attention late in the morning.

There was no time for "Maagie vol, ogies toe" scenario as each team presented their stage play only to be cheered (sometimes jeered) by the rest of the SG staff.

All in a day to remember and what was learned is that we can work as a team even when the unknown is staring us in the eye.

At the time of writing it seemed that the North-West PDLA was the only office within the DLA to be having a formal and structured Team Building Committee (TBC). Because of the rarity of the TBCs Journal visited and interviewed the Co-ordinator of the North-West one, Ms Edith Tukokgomo, at the Brits District Office.

Edith told Journal that the idea of the TBC came from their management. She said they all want District Offices to be represented in the TBC including the Mmbatho Regional Claims Commissioner's Office.

Edith has the following members working with her in the TBC:

• Beatrice Maleka;
• Belgium Mokgatlhe;
• Lulama Lekhu;
• Sello Koloko;and
• Mosela Phayane.

When talking about the problems of the TBC, Edith said the only problem they were encountering is that people sometimes take their time to pay. She said this compels them to use their own money for TBC activities.

She mentioned the following as their successes:

• The staff is in full support of the activities of the TBC. She said the success of their better performance celebration bears testimony to that;
• The staff has volunteered to assist the TBC whenever there is an activity organised by the TBC; and
• The Management of the North-West PDLA is also in full support of the TBC. She said this is displayed by the fact that the management initiated that it should pay more than the ordinary members of staff.

"Presently we are looking at ways and means of raising funds for our activities. This will make it easier for payments and we are sure we will survive longer", Edith said.

"In avoiding the disappearance of our contributions, we are transparent and give out reports and feed-backs regularly. We make evaluations of every event that we are engaged in. By that evaluation we will be able to see mistakes and not repeat them in future. In rectifying the mistakes we involve the staff. We avoid imposing anything to the staff. The staff participates in any decision that we take", Edith concluded.

She said they have documented guiding principles, which have the following definitions:

• Team building is a forum for social cohesiveness;   
• It is a forum which is normally used as one of the tools to build staff relations;
• Upliftment of moral;
• Supporting network for staff; and
• Reinforce staff productivity.

The document containing the guiding principles explains the objectives of the formation of the TBC as to:

• Instill and promote the spirit of cohesiveness amongst the staff members;
• Collectively partake in a number of activities agreed upon;
• Build workmen relations;
• Promote staff inter-relation through social and other activities; and
• Ensure transparency through reports or feed-backs.

The functions of the TBC are as explained as to :

• Arrange and co-ordinate meetings for different activities;
• Disseminate information and ensure that the information reaches staff members timeously;
• Ensure that the staff gives inputs towards planned activities;
• Always provides feedback;
• Collect contributions and achieve specific objectives from the contributions;
• Open discussions of problems and avoid gossips; and if people are not satisfied with anything they should freely approach members of the TCB;
• Share responsibility of activities;
• Encourage volunteering in teambuilding activities; and
• Plan events that will include District Offices and the Regional Land Claims Commission(RLCC) staff in Mmbatho.

The structuring of the TBC provides that the TBC be representative of all DLA District Offices in North-West and the RLCC. The guiding principles also stipulate that majority decisions must be adhered to.

The principles further highlight the practice of the culture of uBuntu(humanity). The activities that are mentioned in the principles which fall under Ubuntu :

1. Prayer meetings:

# Funerals; and

# Illnesses (hospitalisation).

2.Social outings:

# Picnics;

# Christmas parties, birthdays, weddings, graduations, baby showers;

# Dinners and babaques; and

# Motivational workshops (to reinforce staff productivity).

Expectations mentioned in the principle which are very ethical are:

* Co-operation;

* Punctuality;

* Tolerance;

* Unbiased treatment (i.e. fair and equal treatment);

* Discouragement of cliques;and

* Cross-pairing.

In its capacity building and in preparation for the cut-off date for the registration of labour tenants the Department of Land Affairs has embarked on acquainting all stakeholders about land rights as contained in the Labour Tenants Act under the auspices of its Land Rights Directorate. T K Sonjica from Journal attended one of the workshops which was held at the North-West PDLA office and reports as follows:

With the exception of the North-West PDLA officials the workshop was also attended by land rights practitioners from NGOs, Advice Centres and Lawyers for Human Rights. Mention may be made that labour tenants have to register their claims for the land in which they have been living on before the 31 March 2001.

The package of the workshop contained the following:

• A summarised version of the Act with questions clarifying its contents;
• A user-friendly replica of a pamphlet on the Act; and
• The Act.

Mr Lazarus Rakau from the North-West PDLA said there has been a misconception about labour tenants only existing in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. He said the DLA Minister Thoko Didiza has directed that workshops and campaigns on labour tenants and their registration be conducted in all provinces because there is a possibility that they also exist in other provinces.

Mr Jan Truter from the Land Rights Directorate who was conducting the workshop said the workshop is in support of the call made by Parliament that the DLA staff should familiarise themselves with the Act. He said labour tenants exist in other provinces even though people may not be aware that.

He said in some provinces they are called "bywoners" and in others "diamond diggers". He said most people they work with, have no title deeds.

On the contents of the Act, Mr Truter said it gives people a special right to own property. He said it was once described by a Land Claims Court judge as administrative expropriation.

Mr Truter said "The approval for the land in question under the Labour Tenant's Act rests with the Provincial Director and not with the Director-General or the Minister". He clarified that approval by the Provincial Directors has always been there and the Act specifies that.

Replying to a question, Mr Truter continued and said the new Integrated Programme of Land Redistribution and Agricultural Development in South Africa talks about settling people in agricultural areas and says nothing about residential areas. He said the Labour Tenants Act says what has to happen and as such, is prescriptive.

"There is no special budget on the Labour Tenants Act. I suggest you use your Capital Budget and I also recommend the old methods of a subsidy rather than the new one for there are still uncertainties in the procedures", Mr Truter advised the provincial office as to how they should meet the financial implications surrounding the implementation of the Act.

He said a person can either be a labour tenant or an occupier, not both. He said not all laws can protect one; and this means that an individual can only be protected by one of the following DLA Acts:

• ESTA;
• IPILRA;
• ACT 126; and
• LTA.

 

 

Mr Truter asked those attending that when they are informing people about their land rights, they must tell them to be responsible in the rights they claim. He said people must be reminded that there is a difference in what they claim and what they can afford.

Mr Truter also took the workshop through the history of labour tenants in South Africa beginning from the eighteenth century. He said the labour tenants system that has been existing in South Africa from around 1700 was outlawed in 1987.

Mr Truter explained further that "Labour tenancy does not have money at all; because one cannot exchange one's rights to stay in a farm for money". He said the Act stipulates that the labour tenant can waive his or her rights and get compensation for that.

He also told the workshop that labour tenants rights supercede restitution rights. Jeff Sebape, a North-West PDLA official conceded that this was a revelation to him, and said that could have assisted if it was known when they were doing claims on Doornkop.

After the workshop Ntswaki Mafu from the Lawyers for Human rights said she believes the workshop will be beneficial especially for those who are around farms. She said she does not know how it will cover for those in rural communities and that part was not covered in the workshop.

"There are cases that are related to the Labour Tenants Act that we have handled in our office. The workshop will therefore assist us in solving some of the problems that are related to labour tenants", she said.

When asked about his impressions about the workshop, Mr Rakau said the whole process has implications for implementation, especially capacity since the Act involves a lot. He said they are now dedicating their energies to the process trying to inform people about the Labour Tenants Act and the cut off date (31 March 2001) for registration.

He said some of their resources that were meant for ESTA have now been redirected to cater for the Labour Tenants Act programme. He said they are not sure whether the budget they have suggested for the campaign will be approved.

He said he saw the following as probable impediments in their work:

The DLA HIV/AIDS Policy launch in East London recently, while getting the seriousness it deserves, also had spontaneous laughter from the audience as a result of jokes that kept coming through the presentations of the speakers of the day.

Another rarity that was conspicuous at the occasion was the assemblage of the staff from the Deeds offices (Umtata and King William's Town), the East London Regional Claims Commissioner and the PDLA under one banner of their department. The four heads of the office Messrs Johan Badenhorst, Nkululeko Mantanga, Tozi Gwanya and Mike Kenyon pledged their support in the implementation of the policy.

The Guest Speaker of the day, Ms Linda Nombembe, an HIV/AIDS Programme Manager from the Eastern Cape Provincial Government Welfare Department, was unable to withhold her high regard for the DLA HIV/AIDS policy and commended the DLA for the production of the policy. She said while the statistics on HIV/AIDS is alarming in the region, people continue to have unprotected sex.

She said women with HIV/AIDS are the most vulnerable. "We must begin to take care of the emotional side of this endemic. We should take HIV/AIDS as just another disease", she said.

Ms Nombembe continued and said stress destroys a person's immune system and contributes gravely to a person's health condition and this results in death.

In describing home-based care, she said it means taking people away from hospitals to their homes and be cared for there. She said when one is at one's home, support services must be provided.

In her last remarks, she said people in their sex relations must remember the Ugandan ABC, which means ABSTAIN, BE FAITHFUL, CONDOMISE.

The Eastern Cape PDLA Director Mike Kenyon discouraged people from interfering in HIV/AIDS situations and encouraged support and sensitivity. He described HIV/AIDS as a human issue and what is critical is how we feel about it as an organisation.

"There are myths that we have to dispel regarding HIV/ transmission. As far as I know there is no transmission of HIV/AIDS in the day to day work situation", he said.

Mr Kenyon referred to the policy launch as part of prevention and information sharing. "All of us are privileged in that we have access to information. We have access to health services and counselling, while there are people who do not have such privileges", he said.

Mr Gwanya said our reaction to HIV/AIDS has always been that of knowing about it and not taking the necessary precautions. He said he only came to understand its seriousness when one of his family members died of it.

Mr Gwanya said that in care giving we need a brotherly love and we have to assist each other even in the workplace. He said we must not underestimate HIV/AIDS and one always has to be careful about it.

"One of our problems is that we are not yet used to talking about these issues with each other and our children. If a free flow of information has to exist, we must be free in talking about these issues", Mr Gwanya said.

"We cannot theorise or politicise HIV/AIDS. We have to be engaged in meaningful actions", he added.

Mr Daniel Makhubu from the Gauteng PDLA rendered a moving prayer in which he included those who have died of the disease, those suffering from it, their children, their relatives and those caring for them. He prayed for those who are not aware that they are suffering from the disease, those who are healthy but refuse, neglect or ignore taking precautions.

The memorial service was preceded by a candle light procession around the passages of their building . Joyce Baloyi led the solemn and serious music of that moment and as soon as the procession was inside the auditorium a moment of silence was observed for those who had died because of the disease.

In her presentation, DLA HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator, Colly Carey showed her audience three educational videos on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. After each video, Colly entertained questions and one of the most interesting questions was why are babies earlier on in their births are positive and later negative as they grow. The answer was that at birth the babies are still carrying some of their parent's blood, but as they grow they rid themselves of their mothers' cells and develop their own.

A number of diseases like influenza, tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc. were mentioned in the videos as opportunistic diseases that attack those suffering from HIV/AIDS. But it was emphasised that those suffering from any opportunistic disease are not necessarily HIV/AIDS infected.

It took a lot of explaining to make some of those attending aware that the mosquito cannot be an HIV/AIDS carrier and spreader. It was explained that there is no evidence indicating that the HIV/AIDS condition can exist elsewhere, other than in humans.

Thembani Shabangu from Positive Women's Network, a person living with HIV/AIDS explained that she was educated by a friend about the disease. She said before her baby was born she had been tested and found to be negative and when her baby was five months old, as custom demands, she had to have intercourse with the baby's father to make the baby strong. She said it is then that she got infected.

Thembani said when she discovered her condition, she went through more tests that confirmed her status. She said before telling her family about her condition, she first educated them about it and her mother was very supportive when she heard the bad news.

Later, Thembani joined a support group in Johannesburg and that is where she was told that she can live longer if she is strong. "I am glad that I know about my status. I am thinking about those who are not aware and are presently spreading the disease", she said.

Tembani is an attractive young lady that has a good figure and her beautiful smile extends to her glittering eyes. One questioner asked, because of her good looks, how does she cope with all the young men who may be running after her. She said she has no interest in an affair and it is now more than two years since she's not been in a relationship.

Suzanne Ramokoka, a Gauteng PDLA HIV/AIDS Counsellor in her closing remarks acknowledged Thembani's strength and beauty. She said it had been proven on that day, that you can be HIV negative today, but be found HIV positive the following day.