South Africa’s land reform process will lead to ”pain and sacrifices” for some, Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza warned on Tuesday.
Speaking during debate on her budget votes in the National Assembly, she said it should always be remembered that land was taken away from black South Africans in the past without any compensation.
”We need to be aware that there are pain and sacrifices that need to be made.
”I’m not saying that we must reverse apartheid, today, but… in dealing with challenges of land reform and equity in this country, we need to appreciate the challenges of our past.
”I wish to thank farmers who have come, up front, and helped to solve this challenge, even if they may lose what they had regarded as their own forever.
”For the interests of stability for the country, it is the necessary thing to do.”
Didiza said notwithstanding the onerous challenges ahead, her department was proud of its achievements.
It had been assisted by the broader ”buy-in” on the vision of land reform, and engagements with the Business Trust, South African Foundation and the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut.
During the past financial year, the department of land affairs transferred a total of 295 024 hectares to 140 227 beneficiaries.
Its flagship redistribution sub-programme, Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD), had transferred 214 farms, giving 185 609 hectares to 6 769 beneficiaries.
This year, the LRAD planned to work on the transfer of 438 farms, which would give 130 810 hectares to 6 179 beneficiaries, she said.
On the state’s restitution programme, Didiza said the total number of claims settled was 36 488, involving 22 760 households, over the past financial year.
The restitution process had benefited 104 902 people, who had received a total of 85 575 hectares of good agricultural land.
”Over the last year we set ourselves a target to validate all claims that are in the books of the (Land) Commission. I am pleased to announce that by the end of January this year, no less than 95% of claims have been validated.
”We can now speak with confidence about the remaining number of claims that are being processed by the commission.”
The department had 43 199 outstanding claims, which would be settled over the next two years, she said.
Neo Masithela, the chairman of Parliament’s agriculture and land affairs portfolio committee, urged white farmers to come forward and offer land for redistribution that was not being utilised profitably.
He also warned that those without land should not be allowed to forcibly take over land from white farmers.- Sapa