Land reform excludes homelands

2003-10-09 21:50

Charles Smith

Bloemfontein - Government's aim that 30% of land should go towards land reform by 2015 does not include land in former homelands.

It would thus be 30% of commercial farmers' land, Thoko Didiza, minister of agriculture and land affairs, told Agri SA's annual congress in Bloemfontein.

She admitted that there was not enough money for the expropriations, but said the treasury and cabinet were investigating the matter.

"I am positive that we will meet the need."

In reaction to Didiza's statement that 30% of commercial farming land would go towards land reform, Louw Steytler, president of Free State Agriculture, said this would be a massive process of social engineering.

"If government is already battling, how will it cope over the next eleven years?"

Dr Pieter Haasbroek, chief economist of Barloworld, told the congress that if government wanted to succeed in its rural development programme, it should play a more significant role in the development of agriculture.

Some of the agricultural needs that have to be addressed include: radical improvement of rural police services, courts and prisons to combat farm attacks, stock theft and arson, as well as rehabilitation of agriculture in the former homelands with a focus on privatisation of communal land.

Guidance services should be re-established, agricultural research privatised and infrastructure such as road, rail and power networks should be expanded and maintained. Agricultural development must be financed effectively and there should be assistance with the reform of co-ops, Haasbroek said.

- Volksblad