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The people of Limpopo cannot rely on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Land Reform to expedite and effectively manage land reform in Limpopo.

The answers by Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, on questions submitted by the DA paints a sombre picture for not only land reform but for agricultural production in the province.

In Limpopo only 218 of the land reform farms are leased to beneficiaries. 609 of state-owned farms are not being leased out. Rental income in the amount of R252 391 was collected.

Effectively 74% of state-owned farms allocated for land reform in the province are lying dormant.

Reasons cited for this by Minister Didiza were the following:

• Some farms are still in the process of being allocated to lessees;
• Some previously allocated farms are in the process of being allocated;
• There re instances of illegal invasion of farms;
• Instances of disputes with lessees regarding the suitability of the farms;
• Some farms where multiple farers have been allocated a single farm, which has not yet been subdivided;
• There have been changes in the leasing policy in the past 3 years, which impacted on the conclusion of leases.

Minister Didiza and her department clearly did not investigate the challenges in each province as the same set of generic answers for all the provinces was provided. The content clearly lacks provincial specific content.

The failure by the Limpopo department of Agriculture to manage and expedite land reform in accordance with Constitutional and statutory promises will have catastrophic effects on the production of agriculture and food security in the province.

As at 1 October 2019, Limpopo province still has 1501 outstanding land claims and there is no indication as to when these will be finalised.

In stark contrast to the dire situation in Limpopo, the Western Cape managed to lease out 73% of land reform farms to beneficiaries.

The DA will write to the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nandi Ndalane, to request specific information regarding the 609 dormant farms under her care.

It is clear that the Constitution is not the barrier to successful land reform but rather the stubborn unwillingness of the ANC led government to allocate title deeds to beneficiaries in order to keep them lifelong tenants. In contrast if land is owned with title, capital funding is readily available for improved agricultural production and increases opportunities for job creation.

The DA wants farmers to own their land with title, to prosper and to contribute to food production that will enhance food security for all our citizens

Issued by DA