| Overview : The Land Reform Policy environment in South Africa has been under the most intense and structured scrutiny over the last 21 months since the Policy Conference of the Ruling Party in June 2017. This became more intense over the last 16 months since its 54th National Conference resolution on Land Expropriation Without Compensation and after the National Assembly Adoption of the Motion on Land Expropriation without Compensation in February 2018. The 54th National Conference of the Ruling Party had received inputs from the November 2017 report of the High-Level Panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation and the Acceleration of Fundamental Change. A substantial part of this report addressed matters on land reform, tenure reform, land development as well as broader land governance. As it stands the report highlighted the challenges in the programmes of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) as well as those of other key departments and their associated capacity challenges. Furthermore, the DRDLR had also published its Land Audit Report III in November 2017 that showed continued land inequality. In February 2018, subsequent to adoption of the Motion on Expropriation of Land without Compensation (EWC), National Assembly established a Joint Parliamentary Constitutional Review Committee (JPCRC) to preside over public consultations, including provincial roadshows, on the necessity for an amendment to the constitution to allow for this. In these consultations the public had an opportunity to express its views, not only on the necessity to amend the Constitution, but also their lived experience of land inequality.In July 2018 the State President Cyril Ramaphosa, established an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Land Reform chaired by the Deputy President. The IMC was amongst others to manage the processes arising from the JPCRC and guide on the scaling up of Land Reform. Furthermore, in August of 2018 a multi-stakeholder and expert Advisory Panel was also appointed by the President to advise on Policies for Land Reform, tenure Reform and Land Development. The work of the Advisory Panel was to be completed by March 2019. In this regard, UNDP and DRDLR requesres services of a consultant to undertake specific research and coordinate, and compile reports developed by the rest of the team of experts according the specification, requirements and purpose of the given assignment in that period. The results of this assignment will improve upon and update the data and information the DRDLR has already gathered from the various policy views and positions arising from the intense deliberations on land reform in South Africa, policy the review initiatives that are underway as well as some of the anticipated policies and draft legislation that will be developed including the proposed review on the White Paper on Land Reform. |
