Madam Deputy Speaker, former President Nelson Mandela spoke brilliantly about land during the Rivonia Trial. He said, "I am without land because the white minority has taken the lion's share of my country." Unfortunately, the DA is not here to hear that. That is absolute sense.
Can we honestly say, 50 years later, that things have changed? Today, 70% of the population still lives on less than 10% of the land. Apartheid has left terrible scars in the lives of ordinary South Africans and, as a country, we must do more to rectify the injustices of the past. This is totally unethical and smacks of opportunism. Through the visionary foresight of President Zuma, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform was formed in 2009. This will forever be one of the President's greatest achievements.
Land is crucial to self-determination, the sustaining and building of our country and the sovereignty of our people. We cannot let the legacy of apartheid determine our future. Land is a sensitive and emotional issue. The task of redistribution is massive. This must be achieved at all costs.
The MF lauds the department for not only focusing on land redistribution, but also on the development of vibrant and sustainable communities though our job creation and through provision of infrastructure. We must be wary of simply redistributing land so that we can boast about progress. Advancement will be when we create integrated communities, where all our people have security of tenure, released from the shackles of poverty and given proper, sustainable jobs, marching forward, living in harmony, united in our diversity.
This audit lays the foundation for achieving the target of restoring ownership. It delineates that 79% of our land is privately owned, which I have previously said, while the state owns only 14%. This provides us with a framework and lays the foundation for achieving the target of restoring ownership to those who have been forcefully dispossessed of their land.
Phase 2 of this audit will be crucial. It will give us a clear understanding of who owns what. I have a nagging suspicion that if we do a land audit in respect of all the hon DA members here on my left, it will show that they own more land than the whole of this House combined. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
Like any good doctor, you cannot treat a patient without a thorough diagnosis. Therefore, we welcome this report as a stepping stone to creating a platform for greater land distribution. Once again, the MF reiterates a 2030 vision of creating a property-owning democracy for all our people. The MF welcomes and supports the report. [Applause.]