Deputy President David Mabuza allayed fears of land grabs and gave more detail on government’s propositions for land expropriation without compensation.
He also invited commercial farmers and other role players in the agricultural sector to join the inter-ministerial committee on land reform to help find a solution to the land question.
Mabuza told the farmers not to panic about land expropriation without compensation.
“Government will prioritise land owned by state, including unused and underutilised land and ensure this land is redistributed and put to productive use. In the main, this land will be targeted for human settlement, agricultural production and economic and industrial development. We also have land with absent farmers and that land is laying fallow. Such land will be transferred to people and it will be put in productive use.”
He said government will not tolerate land grabs.
“The government will protect land and not allow people to invade land and grab land; we will be tough on that. Any failure to work together will be a costly thing in our effort to build a united and prosperous nation.”
Mabuza invited the agricultural community to take part in the land discussion.
“The four unions must be represented in that panel that will work with the President and advise the committee. This panel of experts will assist in providing unified perspective on land reforms.”
Former National Party Minister and Chairperson of the In-Transformation Initiative Roelf Meyer says; “I think what the Deputy President said was quite fundamental in terms of government’s commitment and I would say we can keep government to those promises that were made and that is key to the whole success of this debate.”
An emerging farmer, Patrick Sekwatlakwatla, says; “Today the Deputy President did make it clear and we are happy and he did put to rest a lot of questions. Obviously we want the commercial and emerging farmers to work together and unite because we know how to solve our own problems.”
He however was not convinced that land expropriation without compensation will be without corruption.
“Previously records have shown that land that was given was mainly the politician or political connected person that got the land and some of the land was given to politicians’ sons and all that. To me I’ve been applying for a farm for 20 years and I didn’t get one and I’m still farming on the commonage.”
The regeneration of restitution farms and black farmers experiences are some of the topics that will be discussed on Friday at the Landbouweekblad, AgriSA land summit.
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