An increased budget for land restitution and distribution could be used to finalise claims at market-related prices, the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU) said on Thursday.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Wednesday tabled an estimated R3-billion increase in the land reform budget over the next three years.
However, this might still not be enough, warned TAU general manager Bennie van Zyl.
”There is a real possibility that the inability of the Department of Land Affairs to perform will again be redirected against farmers as being the guilty parties,” Van Zyl said.
The government has spent R500-million a year for the past four years, and plans to spend R907-million in the next financial year, R1,27-billion in 2007/08 and R2,9-billion in 2008/09 on its plans to redistribute 30% of traditionally white-owned farmland to black farmers by 2014.
The allocation of 16% of the budget to agriculture could not be properly analysed yet, with no indication of how the money would be used, said Van Zyl.
The success of the budget would be found in its practical application, he said.
”The minister should be able to provide comparative annual reports dealing with performances achieved. In no way is accountability provided with reference to the utilisation of budgetary allocations,” he said. – Sapa