The Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) establishes a uniform, effective, and comprehensive system for spatial planning and land use management in South Africa. Spatial planning is covered in Chapters 2 to 4, while Chapter 5 focuses on land use management.

SPLUMA develops a spatial planning system whereby:

• National, provincial, and municipal spheres of government must develop Spatial development frameworks,
• Development planning, land development and land use management principles (see section 7) and norms and standards (see section 8) are developed,
• Land use schemes (see section 24) are developed,
• Processes for land development applications are set out (see chapter 6).

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There are three categories of spatial planning—municipal, provincial, and national—outlined in Section 5, each with specific responsibilities.

Land use schemes define zoning for an entire municipal area, enforced through municipal by-laws. It is crucial to comply with your property’s zoning requirements, as non-compliance may result in legal action by the municipality. This could include:

• Preventing land use that violates the land use scheme,
• Authorising the demolition of structures built in violation, without compensation, or
• Enforcing other preventative or remedial measures.

All land use and development applications are handled by the Municipal Planning Tribunal. These applications may include land subdivision or consolidation, amending a land use or town planning scheme, or modifying restrictive conditions. For details on these processes, refer to Chapter 3 of the SPLUMA Regulations.

If you are dissatisfied with a decision or your rights are affected, you can file an internal appeal under Section 51 of SPLUMA and Chapter 4 of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Regulations.