Thank you, Chairperson. I also thank the hon member for asking the question.
Our answer is as follows. The Housing Development Agency, on behalf of the Department of Human Settlements, engaged with state-owned enterprises and national government departments to release land to provinces and/or municipalities for human settlement development.
The agency engaged specifically with the Department of Public Works and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform regarding state-owned land, as well as with the Department of Public Enterprises, Transnet and Denel regarding the release of state-owned properties.
To date, in excess of 68 000 ha of publicly owned land has been identified. The following land has been submitted for release and, in some instances, approved for release: A total of 13 598 ha has been formally submitted for release from custodian departments; 3 300 ha of land has been submitted to the Ministry of Rural Development and Land Reform and awaits the decision of the Minister; 1 668 ha of land has been submitted to the national Ministry of Public Works for approval, of which 765 ha has been approved for release to the City of Johannesburg; 11 135 ha of land held by the provincial department of public works in KwaZulu-Natal has been approved for release to the provincial department of human settlements, although the transfer has not yet taken place; 4 142 ha of land in the North West province - the Rustenburg and Madibeng municipalities - is at an advanced stage of release by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform for human settlement and tenure upgrading; and a total of 295 ha of well- located privately owned land in Ventersdorp earmarked for integrated sustainable human settlement is at an advanced stage of release by the Housing Development Agency.
So, we are in the process of acquiring land on your behalf. I thank you.