Agri-SA warns government against uncertainty on land reform

Re-elected Agri-SA President Dan Kriek has warned that the continued uncertainty on land reform will continue to cripple economic growth in the country. Kriek says fears amongst farmers in the country have already contributed to a decline.

Government is still deciding on a way forward about land reform and the expropriation of land.

In 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a ten-member Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform to find a solution.

Kriek refused to sign the report that recommended amongst others, amending the Constitution.

He said Agri SA does not support any policy or legislation that infringes on property rights.

Kriek addressed farmers at the association’s annual congress in Pretoria.

“The way that the legal opinions of top constitutional lawyers were being dealt with was opportunistic, and it is as if the panel was hellbent to come to a political conclusion of some sort that we need to amend the constitution. We said should the constitution be amended – and we don’t say how – it is now 18 months – 2 years and we don’t have any wording and the South African economy is suffering as a consequence of that.”