Thank you, hon Chairperson. Hon Minister, part of the problem with illegal occupation lies with politicians that try to score cheap political points and buy votes. [Interjections. One of these acts are reckless relocation of landless people into land with no municipal services available as was done by your Deputy Minister, Skwatsha, here in the Western Cape. Do you condone his reckless behaviour?
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: I
think hon member maybe through you Chair, and through the Select Committee Chairperson on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Then maybe, we should have a debate on the issue of landlessness in South Africa, the issues of evictions and issues of land invasion.
If you look at what happened in the incident you are mentioning in the Western Cape, it was as a result of farm evictions. It was an instance where people for a weekend, particularly children and the elderly were on the side of the road. As the government, we had to intervene. When we approach our provincial offices to see where these people can be put, there was land that identified and that's where people were put temporarily until we find a mechanism.
We have been working with the department here in the Western Cape; we have been working with the province, Social Development, including the municipal area concerned to find a lasting solution to this issue. I want to say the challenge of land eviction in our country is a problem that we all must address. How do we ensure that we manage disputes in a manner that does not render others landless, how do we assist those people with secure tenure system, whose livelihood have actually be working on farms for many years, it's a matter in my view that we must address, emotions aside, because it's a challenge.
Unfortunately, the height of land evictions in this country is in the Western Cape. We must face it. [Interjections.] Maybe, let's understand what the problem is so that we look at it and address the
problems as I agree with you, without scoring cheap political points. [Interjections.] Thank you. [Applause.]