South Africa’s Department of Agricultural and Land Affairs has no legislation or policy providing for the settlement of black farmers at the expense of others, Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Lulu Xingwana has reported.
In reply to Democratic Alliance MP Sarel van Dyk on Tuesday, the minister said: ”Where black farmers are settled on land previously owned by white commercial farmers, due processes within the constitutional framework, including the payment of compensation, are and will continue to be followed.”
Van Dyk had asked whether she would make a statement on whether the success of land restitution was indicative of the number of black farmers ”who are being developed”; she said her answer was ”no”.
Asked whether access to agricultural and development financing are the biggest problems that emerging black farmers are experiencing, she said: ”Yes, government has introduced targeted programmes designed to meeting emerging farmers’ needs and various products as provided for by the Land and Agricultural Bank of South Africa.” — I-Net Bridge