Chairperson, hon members, in South Africa almost 50% of communities live in rural areas, which are generally worst affected by unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, poor education, lack of clean drinking water and appropriate facilities for refuse removal. All these factors contribute to the poor health status of people living in these rural areas. In order to address these challenges, sustainable rural development strategies need to be developed.
Food security is a constitutional right in South Africa and the Constitution guarantees its citizens the right to have access to sufficient food and water, and determines that the state must, by legislation and other measures within its available resources, achieve the progressive realisation of the right to sufficient food.
Many people, especially those who live in rural areas and who are grossly affected by food insecurity, need to be empowered and gain access to agricultural productive resources. One of the more critical elements in sustaining food production is to improve the living conditions of rural communities by assisting especially small farmers to enhance their agricultural productivity and incomes and to provide them with access to land.
While it is good that land restitution is being carried out, it must be done with great circumspection. As communities are allowed to go back to their original land, some decide to stay behind and, in so doing, divide the community. As a result, sooner or later the issue of the contestation of chieftainship arises. We admit this is a catch-22 situation for government.
The success of rural development sites, such as Disake and Muyexe in the North West and Limpopo provinces respectively, has to be looked into and cascaded across the land if they are successful. If they are not, they need to be rechecked.
The UCDP will support the Budget Vote.