People inhabiting communal land should be given title deeds, not permission to occupy the land, Deputy President David Mabuza told the National Council of Provinces in a question-and-answer session yesterday, according to a News24 report. IFP MP from KZN, Mntomuhle Khawula, asked if Mabuza could allay fears that all those land reform plans have nothing to do with the Ingonyama Trust, which administers the land traditionally owned by the Zulu people.

The Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini, is the sole trustee. Mabuza said: ‘I don't think there should be any fears.’ He added that traditional leaders were custodians of communal land. ‘Instead of giving community members permission to occupy, give him a title deed,’ Mabuza said. ‘Why refuse to give them a title deed, because they're the rightful owners.’

He added that, if people don't get title deeds, the ‘owner of the land becomes poor’. He said this system was flawed and it had become a ‘hot potato’ for traditional leaders. ‘I don't think communal land, the way it is now, under custodianship of traditional leaders, is a problem, as long as the community get title deeds.’

He added: ‘However, there has been a distortion of customary law that at times affects security of tenure of people living in communal land. To address this, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has published the Communal Land Tenure Bill for public comment.’ He said the Bill provided for the transfer of ownership of communal land to communities that occupied such land. ‘It is therefore envisaged under this Bill that communities will have title deeds for their communal land, and members of communities will have title deeds for their residential and business portions.’

Full News24 report