Sir
The land redistribution and restitution programmes must be scrutinized given that corruption, nepotism, cronyism, malfeasance, and maladministration has thus far denied bona fide or authentic land applicants access to land.
Lack of accountability, transparency, and ethics has rendered the government programme ignominious at the expense of human dignity.
A thorough and transparent introspection must be done so as to ascertain who the beneficiaries are of the government-driven programme throughout the country. People were deliberately excluded despite undisputed proof that they are indeed beneficiaries.
We are a constitutional democracy, thus, we have to make the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform accountable.
We are inundated with a plethora of grievances by vulnerable land applicants. Public servants and representatives are not matching the challenge confronted by the downtrodden.
We observe that land restitution and redistribution is not working within the parameters of chapter 3 of the constitution.
The rights and dignity of the downtrodden must be respected, promoted and protected in a constitutional democracy.
Most land applicants or claimants are illiterate, impoverished and defenseless and redress is needed to balance this discrimination.
We will have to further take stock on productivity taking place in all land bought for the previous land dispossessed with the intention to identify other grey areas.
The struggle for social justice goes on.
Mzwakhe Sithebe
