Department hold workshops on spatial planning legislation and effective land use management
13 November 2012
The Mpumalanga Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has held workshops in the Nkangala, Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni Districts on the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Bill (SPLUMB), the draft Mpumalanga Planning and Development Bill and the coordination of land use management in communal lands between Traditional Councils and Municipalities.
The aim of these workshops was to sensitise Traditional Leaders, Councillors and key municipal officials on these new bills and their implications thereof. The Spatial Planning and Use Management Bill will repeal and replace the Development Facilitation Act 1995 which was promulgated as an interim measure to deal with the apartheid spatial legacy.
The SPLUMB and the proposed Mpumalanga Planning and Development Bill seek to amongst others address the imbalances of the past and to ensure there is equity in the application of spatial development planning and land use management systems and that land is used in a sustainable and efficient manner. The workshops also presented 4 key points on how municipalities and Traditional Leaders can successfully undertake effective land use management in communal lands in a sustainable manner. These points are:
- Involvement of Traditional Councils in the development and reviews of Municipal Spatial Development Frameworks and land use schemes to manage the utilisation of environmentally sensitive areas, high potential agricultural land, disaster prone areas etc.
- Municipalities in conjunction with Traditional Councils, develop detailed layout plans of tribal/communal lands to guide the allocation of land/stands for residential and other purposes for easy settlements upgrades/formalisation.
- Coordination of processes for minor and primary land use changes/rezoning in tribal/communal lands i.e. the issuance of letter of support for primary land use change to prospective applications.
- Traditional Councils should have representation in Municipal Planning Tribunal during the evaluation of land use applications in tribal land.
Traditional Leaders have pointed out that they have not been involved in the municipal land development decision making processes in the planning and development of the communal land. It was then discussed that Traditional Leaders, trustees and private sector should be included in the municipal land development decision making processes with regards to communal land. The meeting also agreed that municipalities and Traditional Leaders should work together with the communities as well as engage with the municipal town planning unit before issuing land to ensure the efficient use of land in our communities. It was also discussed that the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Department of Rural Land Reform Department of Human Settlement, Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, District Municipalities, Local Municipalities must form partnerships to deal with issues of spatial planning.
The attendants of the workshop welcomed the proposals of the workshops. There was also a common feeling in these workshops by all stakeholders that they hoped that the decisions taken at these workshops will be implemented soon. Traditional Leaders from Pixley Isaka Ka-Seme Local Municipality indicated their happiness in this regard, indicating that the Mayor had already requested them to work together with town planners to improve the state of our communities.
The Department will upon finalisation of the consultative process, consolidate all the inputs received on the workshops into a report that will be presented to MEC Madala Masuku. This will then culminate into a Memorandum of Understanding that will be entered into between Traditional Councils and Municipalities on Land Use Management.
Contact Persons
Simphiwe Kunene
Cell: 082 413 3931
Issued by: The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
