Madam Deputy Speaker, hon members, the UDM welcomes the State Land Audit. We commend the hon Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform for taking such an important decision, because it is only through this newly created department that we now know the extent of land that belongs to the state.
Hon Deputy Speaker, it is worrisome to learn that the state owns such a small portion of land in this country. This is indeed instructive for land restitution. It is also worrying to learn that in the small amount of land the state owns there is 6,4% that is not classified.
Hon Minister, what the UDM wants to know, in the category of private land ownership, is how much is owned by whites and how much by blacks in this country? I am asking this question because there is the task to reverse the legacy of the Natives Land Act.
Hon members, how I wish you could see the consolidated land ownership. It is shocking; the province with the highest extent of land owned by the state is KwaZulu-Natal, with 50%. In the Free State, 91% is privately owned; in the Northern Cape, 94% is privately owned; in the Western Cape, 89% of the land is privately owned. Overall, my dear colleagues, the state owns 14% of the land in this country, while 79% is privately owned. Therefore, this is what makes the UDM keen to know how much of this private land is owned by blacks and how much by whites.
Madam Deputy Speaker, the UDM welcomes the audit report. I thank you. [Applause.]