Challenges with the land use applications process in South Africa

Abstract

Effective land management is a panacea for the development of every nation, as land is needed for any infrastructure development. The South African government introduced the SPLUMA (Act 16 of 2013) land-use management policy to improve the land-acquisition process. This study aimed to explore the challenges encountered in processing land-use applications within Mangaung Municipality, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was adopted, using Bloemfontein as a case study. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 25 town planners, engineers, and environmentalists in Mangaung who were involved in land management processes to collect primary data. The factors contributing to the municipality's inability to process applications on time were categorised into external (client-related) and internal (human capacity-related, work process-related, and technology-related). The delay in land-use applications is widespread in the municipality, necessitating an urgent solution. The delay may affect the property development process, negatively impacting the municipality's and the country's economic development. Therefore, the administrative management of land applications in town planning must be improved to track applications more efficiently and monitor turnaround times. The study has identified the seriousness of land use application delays and their contributing factors. This will enable the municipality to reevaluate its entire land-use application process, thereby improving turnaround time and better serving its clients.

Keywords: Land use, application, challenges, delays, Manguang municipality

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008164