/ 10 January 2011

Agri SA: Closer cooperation needed on land reform

Agri Sa: Closer Cooperation Needed On Land Reform

Agri SA is fully prepared to support a meaningful land-reform programme, the organisation’s president, Johannes Möller, said on Monday.

The time has come for the government, organised agriculture and individual farmers to move closer together with a view to promoting general land reform, he said in a statement.

“It is common knowledge that the billions of rands spent on restitution of land rights has almost, without exception, resulted in dismal failures, thus seriously undermining food security — the latter matter which President Zuma also commented on during this occasion.”

Möller was responding to President Zuma’s statements on land reform during the ANC’s 99th anniversary celebrations in Polokwane over the weekend.

Zuma said during an interview on SABC 1 on Sunday that land redistribution is an area that still faces many challenges.

He said the department of rural and land affairs is working on plans on how to adjust the law to address the matter.

Urgent progress called for
Möller said that with the view of investor confidence in agriculture, urgent progress should be made with land restitution and that the matter should be finalised, preferably within the next two years.

“Give the private sector the necessary space and financial support to demonstrate what can be done in this regard. I am personally aware of farmers who, through shareholding schemes for example, can effectively assist the government with land reform.”

He said organised agriculture is prepared to provide the president with a positive progress report after a reasonable agreed-upon period.

“We will, of course, also have to cooperate with local authorities to register effective progress in this regard and we therefore support President Zuma in striving for an effective third-tier government,” said Möller.

The AgriBEE charter, which can make an important contribution in this regard, was approved almost two years ago by Agri SA and the organisation does not accept responsibility for the delay in implementing it.

“Maybe it is also necessary for President Zuma and the minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to lend momentum to this matter in the interest of land reform,” said Möller.

‘Dangerous and irresponsible’
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus on Monday said that the proposed Land Tenure Amendment Bill, which was published in the Government Gazette on December 24 2010, is “dangerous and irresponsible”.

“The government’s intention to obtain land on behalf of farm workers by using far-reaching expropriation powers is a dangerous and irresponsible intention,” land affairs spokesperson Werner Weber said.

The proposed Bill held “considerable and far-reaching consequences” for traditional property rights principles.

“It removes the cornerstone of economic stability in South Africa and its use will not be restricted to farm dwellers and agricultural land.”

Weber said the African National Congress-led government appeared to want to change property rights in the country due to political considerations, but did not realise what the consequences of this tendency could be.

Weber cautioned the ANC to reconsider its approach and rather adopt a “sensible long-term approach” in the interest of economic stability. — Sapa