Patricia de Lille, give land to the people
5 September 2022
Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbite by Noko Masipa MP.
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), Patricia de Lille’s piecemeal concession on the release of state land for land reform and human settlement purposes is a flimsy cover up of the state’s land hoarding policy while millions of South Africans remain without access to land.
In a brag media statement issued last week, de Lille states that the DPWI has released 58 930 hectares of land for land reform and human settlement purposes. What she conveniently fails to mention is that the DPWI is currently sitting on 3,3 million hectares of land.
Using the DPWIs own figures on land released in the current financial year, it means that it will take the Department 56 years to fully allocate state land under its ownership to people who need it.