NNP: Speed up land reform
2003-08-13 20:07
Cape Town - The New National Party called on Wednesday for the land reform process to be speeded up, saying the sooner it reached finalisation the better.
Land reform was an emotional issue, and the successful completion of the process would lead to less poverty and the creation of jobs, NNP agriculture spokesperson Bertie van der Merwe said.
"President Thabo Mbeki and the minister of agriculture and land affairs (Thoko Didiza) agree with us, as well as, most probably, the vast majority of South Africans."
The Restitution of Land Rights Act, did not necessarily have to be amended for the minister to expropriate land without a court order, he said.
'Stick'
Chief land claims commissioner Tozi Gwanya admitted recently this was only necessary in two of the 36 000 successfully completed cases so far.
Gwanya had also stated the commission needed a "stick" to motivate farmers to accept settlements reached under normal circumstances, Van der Merwe said.
"Unfortunately this "stick" will not send out the right message. It will only create further distrust concerning this process amongst farmers.
"The best way to motivate farmers to work together is to ensure that they get market-related prices for their land."
Van der Merwe said it was totally unacceptable "that the DA is now submitting a bill that will postpone the cut-off time for the submission of land claims".
Budget too small
Briefing the National Assembly's agriculture and land affairs committee on Tuesday, Gwanya said over R2.3bn had been spent on land restitution since 1995, but the commission was under pressure due to its too-small budget.
About R1.2bn was required to settle outstanding claims for the 2002/03 financial year.
Since 1995, 781 648 hectares had been handed back to previously disadvantaged people. Since its inception, the land restitution programme had benefited 518 710 people in 95 306 households.
'Unco-operative' farmers
Besides a less-than-adequate budget, the commission was constantly challenged by unco-operative farmers and people who wanted to lodge claims eight years after the process started.
Gwanya said the restitution process was being tested by some farmers, who demanded exorbitant prices for their land, which were not fair market prices.
"They are asking for future value not present value. They try to sell us the prospective value of the land. The negative attitudes of some farmers makes restitution almost impossible in certain areas."
During the same meeting, Democratic Alliance MP Dan Maluleke said government had a duty to ensure that everyone dispossessed of their land during the apartheid era got satisfaction.
He said he was in the process of drafting a private member's bill that would reopen the window period and allow people to continue to lodge claims.
- SAPA