ILL-CONSIDERED LAND REFORM PROPOSALS ‘UNACCEPTABLE'

"Proposals regarding the compulsory allocation by farmers of 50% of their agricultural land to farm workers, as formulated by the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Minister Nkwinti, contain elements of what had occurred in Zimbabwe," says Agri SA president Johannes Möller. "The negative results of such an approach cannot simply be shrugged off as ‘unforeseen'. Evidence of this can be found in the struggling economy and unfavourable food situation experienced by our northern neighbour," says Möller.

According to Möller, Agri SA will not accept accusations that the organisation is not prepared to support land reform. "Policy confusion, as is apparent from government's uncoordinated approaches, can hardly be expected to produce a nationally agreed-upon plan or plans," says Möller.

Over the past five years there have been so many proposals that the formulation of a meaningful plan was basically impossible, for example reopening of the restitution process which already had a proven record of failure; proposals around strengthening the relative rights of farm workers in terms of which a portion of the land must be effectively forfeited without compensation; proposals in the National Development Plan to the effect that 20% of land within a specific district could be acquired through a contribution from farmers; suggestions of land ceilings; section 25 of the Constitution which allows for expropriation subject to compensation lower than market value; and the declared government policy according to which the willing buyer, willing seller dispensation is no longer valid.

"This should not detract from the fact that individual farmers are already participating in land reform actions or that commodity organisations are involved in various areas. Agri SA is continuously engaged in discussions around sustainable land reform that is economically viable, and is again prepared to join the minister and his department in considering all possible options," says Möller.

Statement issued by Mr Johannes Möller, President Agri SA, June 24 2014

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