Deputy Speaker, the State Land Audit was intended to address concerns over who owns what land in South Africa, who uses it and for what purpose. Unfortunately, it falls far short of that. The audit fails spectacularly to identify ownership patterns and whether or not there has been a positive transformation since 1994. In other words, we cannot use this audit at all to determine whether land reform targets are being met.
However, what it does tell us is that there are large tracks of land in state ownership, at least 14% of South Africa's total land area, which could be utilised in a relatively short timeframe to address land reform concerns. So, if the State Land Audit fails to tell us who owns what, what we can use?
There are various independent studies that have been conducted which show that black ownership ranges from 15% to 28% of all privately owned agricultural land in municipalities to as high as 40% in some instances. According to the 2013 South Africa Survey conducted by the SA Institute of Race Relations, SAIRR, landownership estimates in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and North West show that approximately 76% of the total land area is owned by black people and the respective provincial governments. This significantly contradicts the repeated statements of the ANC that the willing-buyer, willing-seller model is somehow hindering transformation.
I have previously raised the issue of the 8,4 million ha of land unaccounted for. It is not inconceivable or even improbable that the entirety of this land is also owned by the state, and that would raise the state's ownership of land to some 21% of the country. Acting Minister, if there is any hold-up in land reform and the transformation of ownership demographics, it lies with the department. Acting Minister, the land you seek is to a large extent held by the state.
Now let me say this slowly so that there is no misunderstanding. The DA supports a land reform process that achieves redress in rural communities; that promotes economic inclusion to lift rural people out of poverty; and that supports growth and prosperity in the agricultural sector. We acknowledge that land reform is a moral and constitutional imperative and represents an opportunity to invigorate rural economies by giving rural dwellers greater access to productive assets.
But to date the restitution and reform process has been far too slow. It has not provided support for reform and restitution beneficiaries to build livelihoods on the land, and the money allocated to reform programmes has not been utilised effectively. We need a fresh approach, an approach that makes the agricultural sector a partner in rural transformation and an approach that addresses real land needs, like urban tenure.
Urban tenure remains a pipe dream for many South Africans, yet over 60% of our population is urbanised. It should be abundantly obvious that the starting point for land reform in South Africa must be to provide those living and working on the land with title deeds to their properties, and in many instances it is only the sheer inefficiency and maladministration of the Zuma administration that is preventing this from happening.
Twenty years of failed land reform is too much. By the Minister's own admission, 90% of land reform projects have failed and the blame for that must be laid squarely at the door of the department. Until you implement proper pre- and post-settlement support for land reform beneficiaries, these projects will be white elephants. Examples of this include the Kangela Citrus Project and the Magwa Tea Plantation.
The DA's position is clear. The property rights of any person dispossessed, whether under apartheid or through more recent expropriation, are of equal importance and cannot be divorced from each other. We need to respect the constitutional rights of all South Africans and treat them fairly.
A vibrant and inclusive rural economy can contribute to economic growth, create jobs and help alleviate poverty in South Africa. It speaks to the essence of the DA's vision of an open opportunity society for all and will remain a key priority of all DA governments. Thank you, Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]