Land debate lacks expertise and realism

"As was the case during the debate around the budget vote on rural development and land reform this week, accusations that the existing group of white farmers had stolen their land persist in various circles, including the EFF," says Agri SA president Johannes Möller.

According to Möller, deliberations in this regard is driven at such a low level of applicable knowledge that well-founded arguments to the contrary barely reach this target. "Why is there a debt-asset ratio of almost 60% on land and fixed improvements if land had been stolen? Does the fact that farming units have declined from 118 000 in 1950 to the current figure of 40 000 mean that farmers have also "stolen" this from one another? It is general knowledge that approximately 5% of farm land is traded annually. This in effect means that the total area of all farmland in South Africa had been traded over the past 20 years. Thus, in the "era of democracy" the land market has been dynamic based on trading and was not characterised by so-called theft," said Möller.

According to Möller, the policy environment for land reform is currently characterised by conflicting statements from political leaders, visibly poor coordination of policy stances and clearly very poor communication around this matter. "It is impossible, amid restitution and related land claims processes that will drag on for another five years, to make meaningful progress with land reform, shareholding schemes, the relevant proposals in the National Development Plan and black economic empowerment in general," says Möller.

Farmers are now sick and tired of being constantly blamed for South Africa's failed land reform process and of allegations that producers do not have a clear plan, whilst the department, both in the said budget and due to repeated practices which have failed dismally, has been unable to come up with a workable plan or implementation strategies. This despite, Agri SA is already working with the National Planning Commission on land reform models.

According to Möller, it is not only agriculture, farmland and farmers that are at issue but also the acceptability of South Africa as a destination for investment. He referred specifically to the constant threat of South Africa's credit rating being lowered.

"On behalf of Agri SA I can confirm commercial agriculture's commitment to successful land reform and transformation of the sector and herewith repeat our offer to work with the government and other stakeholders to give effect to this. We, however, do not accept the accusation that we are without a plan within an environment that makes planning impossible, says Möller.

Statement issued by Mr Johannes Möller, President Agri SA, July 25 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter