South Africa P.I.G.: LAND REFORM

Showing posts with label LAND REFORM. Show all posts

The green paper on land seizure and private property rights in SA

By Anthea Jeffery ‘Green monster’ could wreck property rights in South Africa  The green paper on land reform, finally made public on 31st August 2011, is part of a new assault on the Constitution and the rule of law. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwQLlJwgIHdYs1pQiC08Jmv0ZFXmX3dlBBlfJQezbcL6VlWQh_CRQvD1OUT8c_zyym-ESlQst6WpwGVNvSQQ5L4w-ZchiA1Q6-jVQiBbUIxxXSphuxdwj3AVEE16cfdGJqPEseMNClAHD/s1600/ANC_LANDGRABS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwQLlJwgIHdYs1pQiC08Jmv0ZFXmX3dlBBlfJQezbcL6VlWQh_CRQvD1OUT8c_zyym-ESlQst6WpwGVNvSQQ5L4w-ZchiA1Q6-jVQiBbUIxxXSphuxdwj3AVEE16cfdGJqPEseMNClAHD/s400/ANC_LANDGRABS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> On the same day as the green paper was released, the deputy minister of correctional services, Mr Ngoako Ramatlhodi, let the cat out of the bag when he said the African National Congress (ANC) had made ‘fatal concessions’ at the time of the political transition. Given the balance of forces at the time (including the collapse of the Soviet Union), it had accepted a Constitution which ‘emptied the legislature and executive of real political power’ and ‘immigrated (sic) the little power left [to them] to civil society and the Judiciary’. [The Times 1 September 2010] <div></div>Mr Ramatlhodi seems to forget that the 1996 Constitution was drafted by an elected constituent assembly dominated by the ANC. In addition, it reflects a very wide-ranging consensus that the new South Africa should be a constitutional democracy in which Parliament and the Cabinet would have to act in accordance with constitutional principles and provisions, failing which both law and executive action could be set aside by a Constitutional Court charged with the task of upholding the Constitution at all times. <div></div>Already the ANC has white-anted the Constitution in various ways, and particularly via its strategy of cadre deployment. The green paper on land reform goes much further, for it seeks to oust the jurisdiction of the courts in two key spheres <ul><li>in determining the amount of compensation payable on the expropriation of land, a task it gives to a state official (a new valuer-general) in place of the courts;</li> </ul><ul><li>in deciding whether title to land should be ‘invalidated’, a job it gives to a state bureaucracy (a new land management commission).</li> </ul> The green paper also seeks to empower this commission to ‘seize or confiscate land gotten by fraudulent or corrupt means’. The meaning of this criterion is unclear, but the green paper perhaps supplies a hint when it suggests that land acquired in the colonial and apartheid era was lost to black people ‘through force or deceit’. <div></div>The green paper also suggests that more and more land will come under state ownership. First, by introducing ceilings on land in private ownership, it implicitly requires commercial farmers with more land than the maximum to dispense with the ‘excess’. The State could decide to expropriate ‘excess’ land at valuations decided by the valuer-general. Even if this does not occur, many farmers might find themselves obliged to divest themselves of ‘excess’ land at the same time, which will flood the market and drive prices down. Since the only buyer to whom the ceilings will not apply will be the Government, the State will be able to take advantage of artificially low prices to buy up large tracts of land. <div></div>In addition, land already belonging to the State will no longer be available for sale to private owners, while those wishing to farm on it will have to be content with leasehold tenure. The case of Ms Veronica Moos shows how insecure such tenure could be. For Ms Moos was an emergent farmer who was illegally evicted from her leasehold land by former agriculture and land affairs minister Ms Lulu Xingwana, who arbitrarily decided that Ms Moos was not using the land well enough, even though inspection showed it to be well maintained and modestly productive. <div></div>Moreover, land in communal areas will not be available for sale to individuals either. Instead it will remain in communal ownership, although people living on it may in time acquire ‘institutionalised use rights’ of uncertain content. Communal land will thus remain in public ownership, while land owned by foreigners who breach new conditions of title will be forfeit to the Government and is likely to end up in state ownership too. <div></div>The upshot is that more and more land will be owned by the Government – and that more and more people will occupy land at the pleasure of the State. Instead of helping black South Africans to experience the security of land ownership, the ANC seems intent on preventing them from ever acquiring this foundation for economic and political independence. <div></div>People outside the agricultural sector might see the green paper as posing problems for farmers alone, but this is a mistake. The green paper uses the emotive land issue to bypass the Judiciary and establish a new norm: that the amount of compensation payable on expropriation can be decided by a state official (the valuer-general) and that title to land can be set aside by a new bureaucratic body, the land management commission. <div></div>Once this norm has taken root, there will be little to prevent it being extended to mines, banks, firms, shares, or any other asset.

The green paper on land seizure and private property rights in SA

By Anthea Jeffery ‘Green monster’ could wreck property rights in South Africa The green paper on land reform, finally made public on 31st A...

7:52 AM

'Why I left South Africa'

There are views for and against SA as it stands now. Here is my 50 cents on the state of affairs. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlnPT7vu_DScC03C57c09ae9za99JdWJkQGpWueYtE8jpnPrsTbGipl5I7UQR54nPs6Qlp20mX0eBC4YLuBO9Bcz8kXJ0bfHwUPryWTVpOrY7WsUc30hNhW8AEUZ4NiCQqGry1JKfgOZ9/s1600/EXPATS.gif"></a>Pros: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xh144ieKf8YksdhWUrRjzj0L-eFMXhODscwHjus5wVvLzQrYOyQmprGSCQH5T-TbNNXa3XrRWuediyvU0ZRKZY5qTzHVKTnlgjHICKpOheA5kCXTq_7HTXarul9QMpK9BnuedLnEU2dJ/s1600/EXPATS.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550750283061566210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xh144ieKf8YksdhWUrRjzj0L-eFMXhODscwHjus5wVvLzQrYOyQmprGSCQH5T-TbNNXa3XrRWuediyvU0ZRKZY5qTzHVKTnlgjHICKpOheA5kCXTq_7HTXarul9QMpK9BnuedLnEU2dJ/s400/EXPATS.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 170px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>1. Weather is generally great all over SA. 2. Freedom of Movement. 3. Great outdoors. 4. Big 5. 5. Huge opportunities. 6. Infectious SA humour and camaraderie. There are many more, and to each person they hold a different weighing of importance. Just so that you all know, I left SA, for these reasons... Cons: 1. Crime. Why is there a massive disparity between the police stats and the SAMA stats? Even so, the level of violence that goes with a house breaking etc. is off the scale, and don’t let them bull dust you, it is getting worse. (I have friends who own security companies, and their stats are all going up rapidly; why are the cops going down?) 2. Water. Why was the report by Dr Anthony Turton blocked by the CSIR? We have acid mine drainage and Government just set up a task team to “look into the matter” time has gone for this, action is required. 3. Sewerage. Government refused to release a report on the state of sewage, saying that it would cause panic amongst people, who didn’t understand. Yeah right. You have to love this minister, who says you only have a crisis when there is a country-wide outbreak of cholera. Just look to Haiti to see how well that idea worked! Read the <a href="http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Documents/GreenDropReport.pdf%20">report here</a>. 4. Corruption. There is almost zero appetite for tackling corruption. People get “redeployed” rather than fired and jailed. 5. Education. The highest per capita allocation in the world, and the results are dismal. I say no more. 6. Economy and social grants. People in SA need grants, that’s a fact, but you cannot have 4.5 million tax payers feeding 14 million (and counting) people. At some point, you have to give less to be able to give more. The tax base in SA is too small for all these election promises, SA has to become more prudent. 7. BEE. The idea was noble, the execution a disaster. For a white guy to get a shot at goals in SA he has to start a company. Once successful, he has to take on a BEE partner to get business, and the inevitable “SA handshake” Note, not all do business like this, but I have been around enough businesses to know this is de rigueur. 8. SARS at roadblocks. I have queried this with about 40-odd people who live in other countries, and they don’t know of any in those countries that have dedicated people from SARS/IRS etc at a roadblock. This tells me the fiscus is desperate for money. 9. Land reform. Why not use a partnership model? Who does Government expect someone to walk onto a farm and suddenly know how to run it profitably? The distribution plan is noble, and again, terribly executed. 10. Infrastructure. Not enough money to fix the roads. And oh yes, we pay taxes on our licenses, and then again on petrol, why then do we pay AGAIN for toll roads? Where is the money going to? 11. Plastic bags tax. Where is all that money people? 12. Quasi-militant unions. Utterances like, “we will make the country ungovernable” and “they will be war”, “we cannot guarantee we can control our members” wake up! This is a low-grade war. Since when do soldiers storm the Union Buildings? That is high treason people. We cannot afford to pay more for civil servants but they hold a gun to our head. Why do these people loot and trash the streets, cars and shops? Basal thuggery, endorsed by their handlers. There are many more points I can raise, but stand back a little and look at all the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle and SEE what your eyes and ears are telling your brain. It has been declining slowly for years. Forget the NP or the ANC. Who is running it matters not, how they are running it matters. Unless the so-called great unwashed realise they are getting a raw deal every 5 years, it will keep getting worse. I am grateful to my Father in heaven for the chance to leave. I will not throw stones when asked by people about my former country, but I will be candid about the facts. It is indeed, Cry The Beloved Country. I sleep now with open windows; don’t worry about the guy selling a paper at the traffic light (robot) or the lights behind me on the way home. SA citizens, you are going to have to stand up and demand accountability. Call me what you wish, but I am happier now than I have been in 20 years. My children have a genuine shot at goals. To those who choose to remain and those who cannot leave, I salute you.

'Why I left South Africa'

There are views for and against SA as it stands now. Here is my 50 cents on the state of affairs. Pros: 1. Weather is generally great all ov...

7:23 PM

Warning bells for South Africa

Earlier this week SAIRR's new Unit for Risk Analysis described the proposed nationalisation of agricultural land in South Africa as a potentially cataclysmic event for South Africa’s economy. <a href="http://www.sairr.org.za/press-office/press-releases/press-statement-unit-for-risk-analysis-warns-on-land-reform-proposal-15th-march-2010">See Press Statement: Unit for Risk Analysis warns on land reform proposal - 15th March 2010</a> <div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SXV96xsPv3fceVHhyPtg9DFMHViGXTQ9zmqgGof5Wym-u5nOZpqYz2bv0FqFLFI4Mm-PiUJAy0KIl-fw3M18vM3yClNnOXrHI-ZF7NoBLTn3ea469wYi9FLTbeIaRpDM_4Hyx94GRVQy/s1600/ANC_LANDGRABS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: left; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em; cssfloat: left"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SXV96xsPv3fceVHhyPtg9DFMHViGXTQ9zmqgGof5Wym-u5nOZpqYz2bv0FqFLFI4Mm-PiUJAy0KIl-fw3M18vM3yClNnOXrHI-ZF7NoBLTn3ea469wYi9FLTbeIaRpDM_4Hyx94GRVQy/s320/ANC_LANDGRABS.jpg" wt="true" /></a>The Government has subsequently denied any intention to nationalise private property. We have reason to doubt their assurances and warn again that the nationalisation of agricultural land is now a published government proposal, that it follows a trend that saw the nationalisation of both mineral and water rights, and that it follows previous efforts to introduce far reaching expropriation legislation. The likelihood of the Government adopting this policy proposal is therefore something that South Africa’s domestic and foreign investors should be very aware of. The Government and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform have responded to our warnings by saying that there is no plan to nationalise South Africa’s farms. The Government has further stated that it respects private property rights and that this will not change. We have little confidence in these assurances and believe them to be an effort to mislead the public and the media. In part, this is because the Government’s assurances are so obviously contrary to their own written and published plan. While various government officials in the last 48 hours have said that the plan does not talk about “nationalisation”, it does talk about private owners ceding control of their land to the State which will then lease that land back to the farmers. The Government’s proposal also identifies the need to alter Section 25 of the Constitution which deals with and guarantees private property rights. A second reason to doubt the Government’s assurances is that this latest policy proposal appears to follow an established trend of the State seizing control of what it regards as important ‘national assets.’ In 2002 through the Minerals and Petroleum Development Act, the Government took custodianship of all mineral rights in the country thereby ending private ownership. Mining companies had to re-apply for those rights in order to continue mining. This legislative step did significant harm to the mining industry in the country and to investor sentiment, particularly in the mining sector. Similarly, the Government took control of all water resources in the country through the National Water Act of 1998. The previous distinction between public and privately owned water was eliminated, making all water a ‘public asset.’ Water allowances were imposed and the Government handed itself the authority of managing the country’s water resources. What we are now seeing in terms of the Government’s proposed land seizure scheme is therefore a logical progression of government policy that has sought to bring under state control what it regards as important ‘national assets’. The third reason to doubt the Government’s sincerity is that this latest proposal appears to be a continuation of a pattern of thinking that gave rise to the Expropriation Bill of 2008. The Institute published extensively on the bill, which would have given the State the authority to seize any fixed or movable property ‘in the national interest’ without paying compensation. Ahead of the 2009 elections the Government declared that the controversial Bill would be shelved. The Government has recently admitted that 9 out of every ten land reform projects that it has managed have failed. Under these circumstances it is unlikely that this same Government will be able to successfully manage South Africa’s entire commercial farming industry. This is particularly so if they erode the capital value in agricultural land, which is important collateral that farmers have against which to raise loans to run their businesses. We are therefore of the view that if either of the two proposals goes ahead then South Africa will experience a steep reduction in agricultural investment. This will translate into a commensurate fall in agricultural employment which will in turn drive up levels of rural poverty and provide an impetus for greater rural to urban migration. Further we expect that South Africa’s ability to meet its food needs will be undermined. This will see knock-on effects on downstream food processing industries with corresponding falls in employment and investment. Upstream supply industries will see their markets shrink as demand for their products falls. South Africa will be forced to import a greater portion of its food needs, placing pressure on both the current account deficit and on food price inflation. The above repercussions will see more poor rural people flocking to urban areas. The Government’s ability to meet service delivery demands will be compromised even further than it already is. In an environment of escalating protest action against Government on the peripheries of large urban settlements, this will pose a further challenge to the hegemony of the ANC. It is uncertain to what extent the Government and the ANC identifies these risks. Certainly sentiment within the Government and the ANC ignored similar warnings on skills, mining, health, education, security, electricity, and labour market policy for which South Africa paid a heavy price. It is quite possible that the Government may therefore proceed with this scheme only to try and reverse the policy as its negative effects become more apparent. It is also possible that the Government may identify these repercussions but proceed regardless in order to achieve what they may see as the more important end of breaking the back of white commercial agriculture and handing farms to black farmers. On this score the ANC leadership’s recent support for incitements to shoot and kill white Afrikaans farmers is pertinent. Certainly the Government’s attitude to white skills in the civil service suggests that they are willing to sacrifice performance for racial ideology. We must also warn against regarding the second of the two proposals as a lesser of two evils. Destroying the economies of scale that make South Africa’s commercial agriculture sector viable will result in precisely the same consequences as we have spelt out above. Keep in mind that when Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe commenced its land reform programme it also commenced with a proposal of ‘one farmer, one farm’. We therefore warn our readers to take this latest policy proposal seriously, to identify the likely consequences of the proposal, and to prepare for the eventuality of the State going ahead with seizing all or part of South Africa’s agricultural land holdings. We caution strongly against taking Government assurances to the contrary to heart particularly when viewed against the track record of that same Government in nationalising mineral and water rights and in proposing legislation to seize any fixed or movable property without paying compensation. Frans Cronje and Catherine Schulze </div>

Warning bells for South Africa

Earlier this week SAIRR's new Unit for Risk Analysis described the proposed nationalisation of agricultural land in South Africa as a po...

2:13 PM

ANC Planning Zim-Style Land Grab

South Africa’s ruling <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/tag/anc/" target="_blank">ANC</a> Party plans to enforce a massive Zimbabwe-styled land grab after <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/tag/2010-World-Cup-Games/" target="_blank">the Fifa 2010 World Cup Games</a>, with Zimbabwe’s Zanu PF and War Veterans providing crucial support for the effort. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl80xQmU7D2JCG8SwiVRC57Se93X0DL8-4v_UUDYqi_8Xv37tde-nBlsB_9Ug9CIaAzlWBThtMwnzCnwj3zrlC2A8VJjarulbbuBd9XVirsG0v1HuITA1AMHurBZTZqxZDZ5JqI5gPiVyb/s1600/Julius_Malema_Zim_2010_04_03_01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457154638828347266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl80xQmU7D2JCG8SwiVRC57Se93X0DL8-4v_UUDYqi_8Xv37tde-nBlsB_9Ug9CIaAzlWBThtMwnzCnwj3zrlC2A8VJjarulbbuBd9XVirsG0v1HuITA1AMHurBZTZqxZDZ5JqI5gPiVyb/s400/Julius_Malema_Zim_2010_04_03_01.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" /></a>The <a href="http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/index.php?news=4904">Zimbabwe Mail</a> report comes after this weekend’s <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/2010/04/03/eugene-terreblanche-murdered/" target="_blank">savage murder</a> of AWB leader Eugene Terreblanche, and two weeks of heightened tensions surrounding ANCYL leader <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/tag/julius-malema/" target="_blank">Julius Malema</a>’s repeated singing of the old ANC battle song, “<a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/2010/03/11/anc-defends-kill-the-boer-song/" target="_blank">Kill the Boer</a>.” ANCYL leader Julius Malema in Zimbabwe this past weekend It is Malema who is setting up meetings between key ANC and <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/tag/zimbabwe/" target="_blank">Zimbabwe</a> officials to organize logistical and mobilization plans for sporadic land invasions across South Africa. He also discussed and shared ideas on “youth empowerment and revolutionary tactics” with Zim officials. Writes <a href="http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/index.php?news=4904" target="_blank">Zimbabwe Mail</a>: <blockquote>A member of the Zanu PF security department told our reporter that the basis of Malema’s visit to Harare is a follow up to a secret discussion between President Mugabe and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma, three weeks ago. The source said when South African President Jacob Zuma visited Zimbabwe during the coalition talks between Zanu PF and the MDC, he discussed at length, matters ranging from the British media’s personal attacks on his private life during the recent visit to the United Kingdom and the need to expedite South African land reform. It is at this stage that Mugabe converted Zuma into his camp, and the two leaders agreed to join hands in actively assisting each other in the land reform and indigenisation process.</blockquote> <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201004050062.html?viewall=1" target="_blank">The Standard</a> reports - Malema spoke publicly about the ANC expropriating South African mines, in addition to leading crowds in singing, “<a href="http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20100405043644101C720884" target="_blank">Kill the Boer</a>.” “We hear you are going straight for the mines, that is what we are going to do in South Africa,” Malema told a rally in the Zimbabwean capital Harare. “They have exploited our minerals for a very long time. We want the mines, now it’s our turn.” <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHtm6ntDLCh8Niy6Bjz2t2E8I_0tiRgrOzOpCJFLbsqD1gDjzCckp_zG2GhnbVptKkN51KJbOdg0-WSQomja1WwhSiTtC55Lg-nP6OojV9gJ5BMW0YaPZJ2a0I7dbjmzD8xRlXv14l0cu/s1600/Julius_Malema_Zim_02.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457154909952960530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHtm6ntDLCh8Niy6Bjz2t2E8I_0tiRgrOzOpCJFLbsqD1gDjzCckp_zG2GhnbVptKkN51KJbOdg0-WSQomja1WwhSiTtC55Lg-nP6OojV9gJ5BMW0YaPZJ2a0I7dbjmzD8xRlXv14l0cu/s400/Julius_Malema_Zim_02.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" /></a>A high-level delegation in the South African security forces, intelligence and media with close links to the ANC are currently in Zimbabwe. They will spend three months training at the Zimbabwe National Army’s Staff College.(pic right) Malema leads Zimbabwe Youth at rally Senior Zimbabwe National army officers who led Zimbabwe’s land invasions will train their South African counterparts and impart knowledge based on their experiences. Zanu PF Youth League national secretary for administration Leslie Ncube confirmed all of this in press conference with reporters, noting how his party and the ANC share the same goals dating back to their origins as Marxist revolutionaries fighting White rule in Africa. “We share the same revolutionary history and they (visiting delegates) are coming to learn from our agrarian reform and indigenisation,” Ncube said. “The ANC is about to expand its land reforms, and we will share advice and discuss how resources should be equitably distributed to the youth and also how they can benefit from natural resources such as mining,” Ncube said. Speaking to South African media, Gugule Nkwinti, the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform accused white farmers of scuttling the land reform programme by frustrating government’s willing buyer willing seller policy through inflating prices. He warned South Africa risks sinking into chaos as the patience of new black farmers is running thin as evidenced by sporadic farm invasions. “If South Africans who own land don’t recognise the reality on the ground? and can no walk the mind with government in terms of what is proposed right now then in fact they are the ones who will be responsible for creating conditions of chaos which can be worse than what has been witnessed in Zimbabwe,” said Nkwinti. Through its “willing buyer, willing seller” program, the ANC has set a goal of acquiring 80 million hectares of land by 2014. However, the world-wide economic downturn has drained budgets set aside for the program. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZOUz2uecfYXeCnWnrqCR23f29Kfp6hxxYbZrZvZkUyZ_NwkCPoVtSKmwG3kiNrJK4DI_TrdaT-9tHVMQJgwqXXT30kExc8bKcAM-lgKATDfyEaAg9FCcvg771tNGg0HFm-uhSsIuWfq3/s1600/Expropriation-torn-up.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457155163338422642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZOUz2uecfYXeCnWnrqCR23f29Kfp6hxxYbZrZvZkUyZ_NwkCPoVtSKmwG3kiNrJK4DI_TrdaT-9tHVMQJgwqXXT30kExc8bKcAM-lgKATDfyEaAg9FCcvg771tNGg0HFm-uhSsIuWfq3/s400/Expropriation-torn-up.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px" /></a>An effort to pass an <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/tag/expropriation-bill/" target="_blank">Expropriation Bill</a> which would have amended the South African constitution to allow a Zimbabwe-styled land grab was <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/2009/06/18/sa-to-ditch-willing-buyer-willing-seller-program/" target="_blank">crushed</a>, but Nkwinti has not ruled out a similar move in the future. Nkwinti said just like in Zimbabwe where about 4000 white farmers owned most of the country’s arable land, land in South Africa is concentrated in the hands of a few land owners, most of whom are foreigners. “We have a major monopoly of land ownership in South Africa and we must break that monopoly,” said Nkwinti. Nkwinti earlier this month told parliament that the government was adopting a “use it or lose it” policy to encourage increased production capacity but his weekend comments appear to be a shift towards a more radical policy. <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/2010/04/05/anc-planning-zim-style-land-grab/to%20replace%20the%20current%20“willing%20buyer,%20willing%20seller”%20program." target="_blank">Last June</a>, Nkwinti called for a new land reform model to replace the current “willing buyer, willing seller” program. Source Url: <a href="http://www.therightperspective.org/">http://www.therightperspective.org</a>

ANC Planning Zim-Style Land Grab

South Africa’s ruling ANC Party plans to enforce a massive Zimbabwe-styled land grab after the Fifa 2010 World Cup Games , with Zimbabwe’...

12:46 PM

Beneath a savage rainbow

Posted by <a href="http://sarahmaidofalbion.blogspot.com/">Sarah, Maid of Albion</a> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448992831165949458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWTWA0JJLK_np7Roffk-A778d21g78WEG99e-jZN6LRd-jDd-Gbah6ssclLx7UBKUyyrgfK9bTFUZr82DCSncdO2uKGft7dt4oINIGWTnd1VPybKGShPpdQmNmP_f-aQulKkgzSXuGHfF/s400/Limpopo.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Limpopo, South Africa's northern most provinceFive more farm deathsThe unreported carnage continues in South Africa. At least five white have died violently in the Limpopo area alone since the beginning of February. In the most recent incident, the third farm murder in four days, the body of 70 year old Ron Smith was found at his smallholding in the Droogekaloof area. According to reports Mr Smith was on his bed with his hands tied behind his back. A gun shot wound to the old man's knee suggested he may have been tortured prior to death. This killing follows the gruesome murder of Belgian farmer, Etienne Cannaerts, 61, was found with his throat cut at his farm near Lephalale (Ellisras) In another incident, Paul Dunn, 49, a White farm manager at Constantia Products, a citrus farm in the Letsitele district outside Tzaneen, was shot dead in his home in the early hours of Saturday morning. Mr Dunn's son, who found his body had to receive trauma counselling (<a href="http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/b64bae8eef1741ff8c342a886c045e03/02-03-2010-11-45/Nog_â€™n_Limpopo-boer_sterf">News source</a>) This spate of killings come at a time when complaints have been made to the world cup governing body FIFA over the fact that the FIFA 2010 World Cup Stadium in Limpopo is named after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mokaba">Peter Mokaba</a> considered by many to be an instigator to the widespread murders of Afrikaners. In the early 1990s, Peter Mokaba became notorious for his slogan “Kill the boer, kill the farmer” – which calls for the killing of all whites as blacks refer to all whites as ‘boers’ and is still widely chanted by black activists countrywide (One way hate-speech rule does not stop ANC-racists from chanting the Mokaba-slogan) . Mokaba also denied the existence of HIV. (Source – <a href="http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/">Censor bugbear</a>) The fact that a man who called for such murders is lionised, not only within South Africa, but internationally, at a time when the very killings he called for are actually taking place is further evidence of the manner with which world brainwashed by political correctness chooses to disregard the genocide of groups to whom they have been programmed not to grant victim status.-/-90% of Black owned farms failing <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448986621311386562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8MEA1b6pd7Uye8a8t-OZ4KYQgrM8JRSf_zckF-OSdA8IR8md6HVC36Y_Y3WWIXx6rcg8eIibYDpqQLILNN-beDgDJmcQdvJEllVAPK6-Swl-otgiCIwOOow1AR_C8qjfGT3upJcKjkBU/s400/SA+bush.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 254px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />In other news from <a href="http://southofzambezi.blogspot.com/">South of the Zambezi,</a> it has been reported that around 90% of all one time white owned farms redistributed to South Africa's black population have ceased to be productive, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8547621.stm">News report here</a>. What on earth one wonders can the remaining 10% be producing, Marijuana perhaps?Of course Zimbabwe was the prototype for the redistribution of white farms to the black population, in which respect, to see how that worked out I highly recommend that you <a href="http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/2010/03/06/the-last-white-man-54min-documentary/">click here </a>to watch a video called <a href="http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/2010/03/06/the-last-white-man-54min-documentary/">“The last white man”</a>.

Beneath a savage rainbow

Posted by Sarah, Maid of Albion Limpopo, South Africa's northern most province Five more farm deaths The unreported carnage continues in...

12:39 PM

Where the hell are we going?

<div align="left">Meltdown the inevitable result of ANC policies Dr. David Klatzow <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRScjp1Iun1DIAtY9_HcWiil3HYzt7ggrkuaRzbHEqAaRsQ8vvc8zc7ic-or6dNBcxI5oSWSRwKLjdjgIQoJoU2SDYPZDHqplJ4LDCgNnPYPIlBTVLbalAg-imAGVg1NR4_N8EbA7qc1P/s1600-h/ancpastsellbydate.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQfkBLXJkBbkXPK8kSRR3vR7AceIGTQ7-0PQElUsne1WW3iXhFsFyr_7dHsguUz0AysyrtAbzny3eGz-MlOqKNAx0NqH1eJWfy8MN8qo69bBDWw17MIDPI9mQvNwg6hMmrdXOl_IrNoI1/s1600-h/ancpastsellbydate.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443727198134663122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQfkBLXJkBbkXPK8kSRR3vR7AceIGTQ7-0PQElUsne1WW3iXhFsFyr_7dHsguUz0AysyrtAbzny3eGz-MlOqKNAx0NqH1eJWfy8MN8qo69bBDWw17MIDPI9mQvNwg6hMmrdXOl_IrNoI1/s320/ancpastsellbydate.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 263px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>The ANC led alliance came to power with many stated and lofty ideals. They flowed from the American rhetoric of such greats as Martin Luther King. “An injury to one is an injury to all”; “Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere”. </div>Our government, post Madiba, has been slow to give reality to these lofty ideals. Mbeki (Mr. Delivery) turned out to be Mr. Non-Delivery. All functionaries in government were replaced by loyal party cadres. Everything became ideology driven instead of ability driven. Government interference in the universities has become much more overt and destructive than ever it was under the Nationalists. (Exemplified by the turnabout on the honorary doctorate for Thabo Mbeki). Our health system was functional to a high level, even for rural black and the urban “non-European” hospitals, whilst an abominable reflection of the apartheid system, worked well with standards high and no shortage of drugs and equipment. Now in 2010, we contemplate exactly what has been achieved in the 15 years of post Apartheid South Africa. A previous vice-Chancellor of UCT, Ramphele Mamphela, is on record as saying that Bantu Education was better than the mess we have now. Our hospitals are dysfunctional for all South Africans who are unable to afford private health care. The Johannesburg General, Groote Schuur, Pretoria Hospital and many others around the country are mismanaged to such an extent that they have become a threat to health. The hospital accounting systems are in a shambles and suppliers have cut off supplies until their bills are paid. The standards of repair and cleanliness have plummeted. The equipment, supplies and linen have been pillaged and pilfered. Recently at Groote Schuur I encountered a Neurology ward that had no toilet seats, no toilet paper, no soap and no towels. The chief neurologist there informed me that he would not use the toilets on his ward because they were too disgusting. The legacy of Manto Tshabalala-Msimang speaks for itself. Our police service is severely dysfunctional. Too many of the serving officers are corrupt. A recent PhD Thesis on the subject put it as 10% and probably higher. Out erstwhile chief cop, Jackie Selebi, stands accused of corruption whilst he was head of Interpol moreover. This is a national disgrace. The arrogance of the man to run around with the likes of the criminal gangsters that he associated with and not see the conflict of interests is astounding to say the least. The government, who should be doing all in their power to prosecute Selebi to the full, are wasting taxpayers’ money trying to keep certain witnesses out of court on the spurious basis of national interest. Our education system is a complete mess. We have the results of the OBE debacle to contend with where the only certainty is that we will produce a generation of educationally crippled youth. We have the ANC government with its ludicrous policies of “quiet diplomacy” which have allowed the stability of the region to deteriorate .The influx of refugees across our borders is fuelling xenophobic violence and is placing scarce resources under huge pressure. Our water supplies are dwindling and those that we have are polluted with faecal matter from the squatter camps along their courses. Cholera is waiting. Much of the water measuring equipment installed at key points on our rivers has been vandalized. The Cape Times (8/2/10) informs me that ‘DIRE SHORTAGE AT FORENSIC LABS STIFLES JUSTICE” What do you expect? In my private capacity as a consulting forensic scientist, I have been warning about this state of affairs for some years. Approximately 4 years ago I warned of the coming ”Melt Down”. To no avail. The analysts in the Health Department labs are appointed in terms of ethnicity and ideology and not in terms of their ability to do the work. When a previous head of the Laboratory in Pretoria, (Dr Viljoen), attempted to set an examination to regulate the incoming analysts he found that he was expected to appoint people who scored single figure results for the elementary chemistry examinations. The labs are swamped with incompetents and the work does not get done The net result was that he and the other heads of the laboratories have all left the state employ and are lost to the system. Their expertise is not even available to assist the state in pulling itself up by its bootstraps. At present there are nearly 5000 samples from the Salt River Mortuary which have not been analyzed. The talk is that they will be discarded. So much for justice. The departmental heads are not called to account for this disaster. Our courts have, for some time now, been grinding ever more to a halt because of the incompetence and disorganization of the laboratories that should be there to assist them. Morale at the police laboratories is low and the good scientists who are still there would leave if any other opportunities cross their path. Recently I became aware of a delay of 3 years in obtaining a post mortem report from the Tygerberg forensic department. This is just not good enough. I have not yet started on the disaster that is coming our way when the productive farms are taken and given to persons who cannot even use them for a proper subsistence, let alone a high technology productive farm to feed South Africa. There is only one way to stop the rot before it destroys the entire country. The government must stop the insane racist and aggressively affirmative policies that it has put in place. Corruption should be rooted out tooth and nail. All the available talent should be used in getting this country back on track. Stop the centralist interference in every aspect of our lives. It is not for the government to decide as to whether I may open a medical practice where so ever I wish. All that will happen is that the available source of doctors will dwindle as they head for greener pastures. The collective that have brought us to this pass will be blissfully prepared to blame it on the racist government. They are right there about the racism but it is their own racist policies that have brought us to the brink and not those of the previous dispensation. Education and security must take priority in government policies and non-performing ANC appointees should be kicked out forthwith. The business of suspension on full pay is an inducement to under-perform. Zuma is a national embarrassment is so many ways that it would be impossible to list them in the limited space at my disposal. However, his exuberant fecundity is the least of the issues. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7v4V13oy0cq-oN9IGpLjaEKqkVSDVi8TOSlXQuJILr0jpIl37sXLfeL4RmpNGK7GRtll_Mueeah5mXbGqfIKwCZlMNY1eWIg7Pn3mJanXguaabdqPibRtgIdTlpF3QLL5AdGqh2sw_IJl/s1600-h/zumatoilet.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IxMahEzLHBiJ3oC3YfdFOOzDvy4ZI84e_cPlx4sXny_PYR2IqEj_f4tDuKZgAZDJPPqowFyEVO2HIdvVTlG0pUS1UuBqONQWAKH-79bg7tIcr9QNZqDvEz8kt6PoYv4P0iEyeRCiRj6T/s1600-h/zumastink.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441504303299291330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IxMahEzLHBiJ3oC3YfdFOOzDvy4ZI84e_cPlx4sXny_PYR2IqEj_f4tDuKZgAZDJPPqowFyEVO2HIdvVTlG0pUS1UuBqONQWAKH-79bg7tIcr9QNZqDvEz8kt6PoYv4P0iEyeRCiRj6T/s400/zumastink.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>My primary problem with Zuma is his lack of appreciation for anything other than immediate gratification without appreciation for the consequences. He says what he feels the audience wants to hear, without a jot of sincerity or any intention to perform. The appointment of Jon Qwelane as ambassador to Uganda sends the wrong message. Why send an openly homophobic man to a country where this lately achieved tolerance is under severe threat? Why appoint Menzi Simelani to his present position? The man is constitutionally and experientially unsuited to the job and in any event it kicks the notion of separation of power (enshrined in our constitution) in the teeth. One is left with the only rational conclusion that Zuma wants a pal who will not come after him in the little matter of corruption that seems to follow him like a black cloud. For a man who publicly demanded his day in court, he has gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid it. The disgraceful release on parole of Shaik is a slap in the face to our already foundering justice system. The only sense in which he was dying, was he was dying to get out and shop. Shame on you! It is high time, Mr Zuma, that you stop your philandering long enough to see that your party is systematically destroying this country. As a group, the ANC hierarchy is as racist and as corrupt as the Nationalists. History will judge you harshly. And by the way, we do not need aircraft (that nobody can fly) and corvettes to sit and rust in Simon’s Town, above education, policing and health. Maybe I could leave you as I started with two quotes from Martin Luther King: “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”. And finally, ”A riot is at the bottom, the language of the unheard”. Dr Klatzow is an independent forensic consultant.

Where the hell are we going?

Meltdown the inevitable result of ANC policies Dr. David Klatzow T he ANC led alliance came to power with many stated and lofty ideals. The...

9:44 AM

South Africa: 'Flawed Democracy' Slips in Governance Rankings

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzA1GFxrc6-RQcH2YQsEDdMMpedGSFeM-gJKebqARFbx1rkfPbtQqQGQchGP0wdtemeBiZjAW4LZdkLXpwAt_s4SBKxqkwtWRcCVe-F8cHj-Gt7a_oCIRtGTsDU0V4QXYZ8gPMNlF81HX/s1600-h/hello-africa-tell-me-how-we-doing.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417735727773054498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzA1GFxrc6-RQcH2YQsEDdMMpedGSFeM-gJKebqARFbx1rkfPbtQqQGQchGP0wdtemeBiZjAW4LZdkLXpwAt_s4SBKxqkwtWRcCVe-F8cHj-Gt7a_oCIRtGTsDU0V4QXYZ8gPMNlF81HX/s400/hello-africa-tell-me-how-we-doing.bmp" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 356px" /></a>Yarik Turianskyi and Steven Gruzd Which way is governance going on the African continent and particularly in South Africa? According to the newly released 2009 African Governance Report (AGR-II), put together by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, it seems that many of the continent’s newly-established democracies are suffering from an authoritarian hangover. Overall, progress is marginal at best and mixed, and worryingly, South Africa is sliding slowly down the ranks. South Africa has many internal problems that it seems not willing or able to solve, which bring into question its aspirations for leadership in governance in Africa. How much governance change can we really measure in four years? The answer is: not much. The AGR-II, which covers 32 African countries, states that compared to the findings of AGR-I in 2005, indicators on political representation, independence of the electoral process and power distribution remained flat across the continent as a whole, while on political party freedom and security the index reveals a one percent slide, and an increase of three percent on the rule of law as well as on the independence of civil society and the media. Overall, no dramatic shifts either way. In only three countries did more than half of the experts surveyed agree that the democratic framework is accepted by all social and political groups, suggesting that democracy has shallow roots. Limited respect for the rule of law and constitutionalism is evident in many African countries, and written rules are undermined by unwritten practices. How then, does South Africa stack up against its African counterparts? Truth be told, although it is consistently in the top 10 on AGR-II’s rankings, there are some rather worrying trends. In terms of acceptance of a democratic framework, South Africa ranks tenth, with less than 38 percent agreeing that such a framework is accepted by all. Furthermore, it is behind states like Sierra Leone and the Republic of Congo, which hardly epitomize democratic rule. South Africa is ranked at number seven on respect for the rule of law, with less than half the experts agreeing that there is adherence in the country. A similar percentage believes that the police and government always respect human rights in South Africa, placing it behind states like Benin and Morocco. On corruption, South Africa is ranked as the fifth least corrupt in the executive branch, but eighth in the judiciary and tenth in the legislative branch, coming in behind Malawi and Tunisia. The fact that South Africa, a leading state in Africa and one that often seeks to promote good governance and democracy in the rest of the continent, is not in pole position in these rankings is worrying. It is important to bear in mind that the AGR-II is mostly based on expert surveys, grounded in opinions and perceptions. One could therefore argue that surveying a different set of experts might have produced a very different report. Yet other international governance rankings support AGR-II’s findings. The country has been slowly losing ground. According to a November 2009 report published by the Democratic Alliance, <blockquote>South Africa has dropped 10 places in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions index; five spots in the African Governance Index; 24 places on the Global Peace Index; and two places in the Index of Democracy, which also classified it as a “flawed democracy</blockquote> These figures should ring alarm bells. South Africa faces many governance challenges. These were highlighted in the country’s 2007 African Peer Review Mechanism report, and include “unemployment rates; capacity constraints and poor service delivery; poverty and inequality; land reform; violence against women and children; HIV/Aids pandemic; corruption; crime; racism and xenophobia; and, managing diversity.” Combined with the fact that South Africa has been making international and African headlines for all the wrong reasons lately (corruption trials of high-standing public figures, xenophobic attacks, refusal of a visa to the Dalai Lama, accusations of abuse of state organs), sinking rankings negatively affect its international image. With all the plethora of governance reports, indices, monitoring frameworks and tracking tools in Africa, one can only wonder why governance on the continent is not improving at a faster rate. While the AGR-II tells us little that’s new, it echoes what is being said by others: governance in Africa is variable and South Africa is doing worse than it used to. Although a long way from catastrophic, this trajectory is going the wrong way. If South Africa wants to be a continental leader in governance matters and help others, it first needs to get its own house in order. It is important that the Zuma administration tries to turn this trend around.

South Africa: 'Flawed Democracy' Slips in Governance Rankings

Yarik Turianskyi and Steven Gruzd Which way is governance going on the African continent and particularly in South Africa? According to the ...

8:49 AM

'It's land reform or land grab'

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6gooDDh1WwOSJLD7uQRr5vLSNzoGxCIFXbIqN0sEP-OhKX4tcBDy_7AkbecSFZnHuhyvEW5Iq6vqEbvPaJ6utZW3l6wRe5jKme7eaEz-UcnUI5Y6k95uB7wMmG47tsbxS_3YR8lYt-4/s1600-h/landsasnewexpropriationbill.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402621135903014162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6gooDDh1WwOSJLD7uQRr5vLSNzoGxCIFXbIqN0sEP-OhKX4tcBDy_7AkbecSFZnHuhyvEW5Iq6vqEbvPaJ6utZW3l6wRe5jKme7eaEz-UcnUI5Y6k95uB7wMmG47tsbxS_3YR8lYt-4/s400/landsasnewexpropriationbill.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 271px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>South Africans must become obsessed with land reform if they want to avoid urban land grabs and the chaos that has destroyed Zimbabwe, Gugile Nkwinti, the minister of rural development and land reform, warned yesterday. Responding to questions at a news conference in Cape Town, he said the government's plan to transfer 30% of white-owned farmland to blacks by 2014 was just a beginning. "No, 30% is not enough. Thirty percent by 2014 was just to demonstrate progress," Nkwinti said. He confirmed that the deadline was under review "for practical reasons", but warned that failure to create equity in land ownership could destroy the country. "Yes, we are obsessed, actually. People out there, they really talk about justice and redress and, at some point, you can see that this is an area that has a great potential for polarisation in South Africa. "You have seen it happen elsewhere - next door. Our obsession is about obviating that polarisation materialising in South Africa, and all South Africans must be obsessed with that question...about obviating the calamity which would come about with polarisation in this country," he said. Nkwinti said the distribution pattern inherited from white rule was changing as many of the 87% of the people who were restricted to 13% of the land began to move to the cities.

'It's land reform or land grab'

South Africans must become obsessed with land reform if they want to avoid urban land grabs and the chaos that has destroyed Zimbabwe, Gugil...

11:39 AM

700 jobless as once-productive farms lie abandoned

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuLgB4VB710N8dLB5luqxe4C7CR9PnOysAH6TKXugnVusNscxcHmvEjOweqS0qJSHohlm11DXi5yScqqqdtfgeZRX2-nL7cSIgtOwQbOH7VKPA5oacm1GujyKA5S7H7PWU2A_EHNJPfoX/s1600-h/farm-land.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337591429998900514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuLgB4VB710N8dLB5luqxe4C7CR9PnOysAH6TKXugnVusNscxcHmvEjOweqS0qJSHohlm11DXi5yScqqqdtfgeZRX2-nL7cSIgtOwQbOH7VKPA5oacm1GujyKA5S7H7PWU2A_EHNJPfoX/s400/farm-land.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" /></a>Some 700 people have lost their jobs after people who won their land claims in KwaZulu-Natal’s Pongola area failed to use the once-productive farms, the DA said on Tuesday. The situation has angered farmers who now suggest they should be allowed to rent the unused farms while the matter is being addressed. The Democratic Alliance called on the newly-appointed agriculture MEC Lydia Johnson to urgently intervene. "The farms, which now lie abandoned, form part of a battle raging between King Goodwill Zwelithini, land claimants and local farmers," said DA spokesperson on agriculture, Makhosazana Mdlalose. She said the land had been left to lie uncultivated after claimants, who won their claims three years ago, chose not to occupy the farms. Zwelithini's spokesperson Prince Mbonisi Zulu said the matter was being handled by government. He did not want to elaborate. Mdlalose blamed the department of agriculture for failing to help new owners to run their farms. "It is all very well to institute land reform. However, the concept cannot be placed higher on the agenda than that of supporting emerging farmers. "There must be some form of investment in terms of training and resources by the department before the land reform process can truly be hailed a success in our country.” Agriculture spokesperson Khulekani Ntshangase said the department was aware of the problem, saying it was one of their priorities. "We know what the DA is talking about. We have plans in place and we will continue with them. "We had a meeting with the Land Commission where we discussed how to ensure that farms are utilised after they have been transferred to new owners." Mdlalose said she had learnt from farmers in Pongola that up to 700 people had lost their jobs. "The situation has led to an increase in crime, along with a 70 percent drop in trade. It is unacceptable that farms, which until just a few years ago were producing effectively, are now empty," she said.

700 jobless as once-productive farms lie abandoned

Some 700 people have lost their jobs after people who won their land claims in KwaZulu-Natal’s Pongola area failed to use the once-productiv...

10:29 AM

Land Minister Seizes Ostrich Farm From Beneficiaries

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4gKO_P7Kn_vgMA482KS3WI67BcPcNkev4p5w0vNueC1o3G2dBOONuI0zQHrIynLEmGiRNG38DMPqiIsvHZNZmWAFJeDMV0ZgQKQBlgPBa2W6mSVZZXIsmYIQnToAeenerHE1p_5QEy8/s1600-h/dead-ostrich.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313573350381483490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4gKO_P7Kn_vgMA482KS3WI67BcPcNkev4p5w0vNueC1o3G2dBOONuI0zQHrIynLEmGiRNG38DMPqiIsvHZNZmWAFJeDMV0ZgQKQBlgPBa2W6mSVZZXIsmYIQnToAeenerHE1p_5QEy8/s320/dead-ostrich.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" /></a> Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana this week put the "use it or lose it" principle to action and seized an ostrich farm from land restitution beneficiaries. She visited the ostrich farm on Wednesday and lamented its deterioration since it was sold to the department in 2007 for R3.5 million and then leased to Phaphamang Ma-Africa for R168,000 per annum. "Of the 77 ostriches originally on the farm, only 57 could be accounted for. Several of the birds were limping and they were in a chronic condition [and] would probably not respond to treatment. "This would consequently result in infertility. None of the birds have bred since 2007," said Xingwana. The previous owner gave the beneficiaries three months of training and donated a bakkie, ostrich feed for two months, a tractor and several other loose assets. "In addition the group received about R70,000 from Metsweding District Municipality to help them start the project," said Xingwana. "It is also important to note that despite all these support systems, it is apparent to me that the beneficiaries are not passionate about farming." She said equipment had been sold, tools were missing and the once viable restaurant had been stripped of all chairs and tables. Xingwana said the department was now working with veterinarians to improve the health of the ostriches who were "not being fed properly". A broad-scale programme was under way to resuscitate the farm. They had started fixing all fencing, removing sharp objects and covering all exposed wires with piping to prevent injury. They were making a list of all the ostriches' ages and sex for each of the camps and to identify bullied birds that need to be herded into another camp. "As a matter of urgency we are looking for workers, preferably those that worked the farm previously to assist in herding the birds." "Those who are not committed to farming must be removed from the allocated farm and be replaced by those who have a passion for farming including agricultural cooperatives," said Xingwana. "I would like to add that our objective is to ensure that 'emerging' farmers do not stay 'emerging' for decades and centuries...

Land Minister Seizes Ostrich Farm From Beneficiaries

Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana this week put the "use it or lose it" principle to action and seized an ostric...

9:33 AM

Billions worth of land given to people in Mpumalanga

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGebdwvyW9viHbgrwJgTIhpu6p07hzT-eWVCnyfNSdAHQ3NV4dxJUHiRl5ANTNlh7shyphenhyphenSNbI6y1o9vKaKc-HlsiQD47fvy3ALUldVtqzrJ8KQXxLtZ5dd_C2DalrX3F38rnCwA2YBbiw/s1600-h/landclaims01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308740047068078322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGebdwvyW9viHbgrwJgTIhpu6p07hzT-eWVCnyfNSdAHQ3NV4dxJUHiRl5ANTNlh7shyphenhyphenSNbI6y1o9vKaKc-HlsiQD47fvy3ALUldVtqzrJ8KQXxLtZ5dd_C2DalrX3F38rnCwA2YBbiw/s400/landclaims01.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>Land valued at billions of rands has been given to rural communities in Mpumalanga in the last five years, with over 20 000 beneficiaries, the provincial agriculture and land department said on Monday. "This is 278 137ha of land valued at R2 850 608,933 transferred to 27 865 beneficiaries," it said in a joint statement with the Regional Land Claims Commission-Mpumalanga (RLCC-MP), and the Mpumalanga Provincial Land Reform Office (MPLRO). This follows recent "negative" media reports with particular reference made to the Mpumalanga province. "[We] have come together under one umbrella to bring citizens of Mpumalanga up to speed about the status quo on government's land reform programmes," the statement read. Meanwhile, the MPLRO said it had transferred 345 000ha of land though various programmes since 1996. "The key mandate of the MPLRO remains the redistribution of 30% of white owned agricultural land to previously disadvantaged individuals by 2014 as well as the provision of tenure security." With regards to issues of land rights, the department said Mpumalanga was one of two provinces that had to deal not only with farm-occupier issues, but also 8 885 labour-tenant claims. The province had identified the importance of building strategic partnerships with the private sector in order to increase the sustainability of land reform projects. "To date support has been obtained from many of the commodity sectors and to this end a number of agreements with different agricultural partners have been facilitated." The department said one of the significant post-settlement challenges confronting the province was to ensure that communities maintain productivity of highly productive agricultural land transferred to them. "To acquire the necessary skills and experience while maintaining production on the farm the beneficiary communities forge strategic partnership with an experienced land owner or company," it said. "Through human support to all farms bought by government for restitution and land reform, the department has provided training. Some of the training has been done with Department of Labour." The department also ensured that beneficiaries had access to services such as boreholes for water and veterinary services. "These interventions have assisted local farmers to get into the export industry," it said, adding that it also established a land rights management facility to provide legal assistance to people facing eviction.

Billions worth of land given to people in Mpumalanga

Land valued at billions of rands has been given to rural communities in Mpumalanga in the last five years, with over 20 000 beneficiaries, t...

9:14 AM

Farms collapse as land reform fails in South Africa

Looming crisis: Food production has not kept pace with South Africa’s population growth<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xREMvvSqL2maAPrpG0t1R3AOJqt8ruJhhu4e8-hHDstf8zv_LmkPu84bOGZX7G_-dzWD75vDB2brkR8KFKaTHuEo899DVOdgdLc8mCFIhVw9DVlTQ4pyvCHZ0O9-HDvlxUVDhs7vs3U/s1600-h/bread_food.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308199910983222210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xREMvvSqL2maAPrpG0t1R3AOJqt8ruJhhu4e8-hHDstf8zv_LmkPu84bOGZX7G_-dzWD75vDB2brkR8KFKaTHuEo899DVOdgdLc8mCFIhVw9DVlTQ4pyvCHZ0O9-HDvlxUVDhs7vs3U/s400/bread_food.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px" /></a>SA becomes net importer of food as vast tracts of land lie fallow. South Africa’s food security is threatened by its chaotic rural land reform programme. Thousands of once-productive farms, mainly in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape lie abandoned & causing serious shortages of staple foods. The country now imports more food than it exports and local production of grain, fruit and vegetables can no longer keep pace with the growing population. Uncertainty about South Africa’s land reform process — the authorities recently extended for the fourth time their deadline to finalise claims — has seen scores of commercial farmers stopping all investments in their properties. Others are leaving for more stable pastures, with many opting for Mozambique’s subtropical fruit and grain industry or stock farming in Botswana. Although there have been success stories in land restitution, the process aimed to improve livelihoods has left scores of communities divided and in debt. A private company appointed by the government as a strategic partner to provide management expertise for newly acquired restitution farms in Limpopo and Mpumalanga has collapsed, leaving beneficiaries owing millions in unpaid debt. This week, the Land Claims Commission said an audit of the struggling projects has been concluded, but failed to provide specifics. But it did say the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs would take the lead in the implementation of a “revival strategy”. The new Land and Agrarian Reform Programme promises to put together support packages, employ project managers, engage strategic partners and landowners, procure investment and redesign farming operations. On a two-week visit to farms around the country, the Sunday Times discovered that: <ul><li>Twenty top crop and dairy farms in the Eastern Cape, bought for R11.6-million and returned to a Kokstad community, are now informal settlements; </li><li>A once-thriving potato farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands is now a makeshift soccer field; </li><li>Ten thousand people given back 8000ha of prime fruit and macadamia farms in Limpopo are crippled by R5-million debt; </li><li>A former multimillion-rand tea estate in Magoebaskloof in Limpopo has become an overgrown forest; </li><li>More than five tons of a macadamia nut crop on a reclaimed Limpopo farm was so poor that it was dumped into the Levubu river; and </li><li>A R22-million irrigation system built by the government to supply water to new farmers in KwaZulu-Natal lies unused. </li></ul>A lack of post-settlement support, with almost no monitoring and evaluation on the ground, are cited as the main reasons for the crisis. Ann Bernstein, executive director of the Centre for Development and Enterprise, a policy think-tank, said its research had shown that the economic viability of many rural regions was under serious threat. Some beneficiaries had no interest in farming but just wanted a secure place to stay, she said. “The issue is that at least 50% of land reform projects have failed, and that means for many of the people involved their circumstances have not improved — and for some, have even got worse. And all this is happening in the midst of a rise in food prices,” Bernstein said. AgriSA deputy president Dr Theo de Jager said the organisation was extremely concerned about collapsing farms. He said “too many decision-makers” in each claimant community had made it difficult for commercial farmers to enter into agreed joint partnership ventures or mentoring programmes. Andre Jooste, a senior manager at the National Agricultural Marketing Council, said they had seen a “relatively big increase” in the demand for food in the country. “The main concern with national food security is the fact that, since the early ’90s, the population has grown by 32% while overall agricultural production has only grown by 10%,” Jooste said. “I think the failures we see in land reform was an opportunity missed to increase food supply in the country. Production has not kept up with population increases and that should be a serious concern to all role players.” Food prices increased when there was restricted supply and big demand. Professor Ben Cousins, director of the Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies at the University of the Western Cape, said the land reform process had not succeeded in improving people’s livelihoods. “We’ve been measuring success in the wrong way by putting emphasis on speed in terms of meeting deadlines, which is counterproductive,” he said. Despite a co-ordinated revival plan, acting chief land claims commissioner Andrew Mphela said it was too early to measure performance or to talk of failure. He said that contrary to “popular rhetoric and biased reporting from certain quarters”, projects did not collapse but instead experienced “challenges”. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjpSxM6KLVvI4-eL1llIkYDByjv2nPbU5W_CPqddo0cBfnFnnMGSiR4Od4j-w45JGUfBx2gBv_5hqal1u1KF7jfiOO9BX7IJIuQk88CzUXb5g22mR5F7OHxhAmbdhXhNlxxGWPj7raE4/s1600-h/HomelessNotLandless.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308204742645745938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjpSxM6KLVvI4-eL1llIkYDByjv2nPbU5W_CPqddo0cBfnFnnMGSiR4Od4j-w45JGUfBx2gBv_5hqal1u1KF7jfiOO9BX7IJIuQk88CzUXb5g22mR5F7OHxhAmbdhXhNlxxGWPj7raE4/s400/HomelessNotLandless.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" /></a>Mphela said most claims were only at an initial planning stage as far as post-settlement support was concerned. He said the government’s policy envisaged a 10-year period for implementation after claims had been concluded. Mphela described the Centre for Development and Enterprise as “self-proclaimed experts” whose claims were “baseless”, “frivolous” and “vexatious, if not outright mischievous”. He said land reform was not a simple process. “There is a human development dimension to it. There is a cultural dimension to it, which is about constructing the human spirit which was destroyed over decades. “It is precisely this culture of labour that was destroyed by apartheid in our people. In fact, it made them hate labour in all its forms because for them it was not voluntary. This aspect of land reform and restructuring of dignity is never understood.”

Farms collapse as land reform fails in South Africa

Looming crisis: Food production has not kept pace with South Africa’s population growth SA becomes net importer of food as vast tracts of la...

11:45 PM

Farmers Leaving South Africa

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuymEb1v3ZLNS-Va1KcwSnN1-ed4cWBg5njM1yYEE0F0pYZwctMFfPzhGyVADYGdKpKpy8iJ9FFEvgzin_HQ9REGis6KQCcXAWAz0ovWS7csGRSITgXvGF4LFCX5EbV5bbeC-pKgss3UM/s1600-h/cape-town-wheat-farm.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301303433240367570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuymEb1v3ZLNS-Va1KcwSnN1-ed4cWBg5njM1yYEE0F0pYZwctMFfPzhGyVADYGdKpKpy8iJ9FFEvgzin_HQ9REGis6KQCcXAWAz0ovWS7csGRSITgXvGF4LFCX5EbV5bbeC-pKgss3UM/s320/cape-town-wheat-farm.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 310px" /></a>The number of commercial farmers in South Africa have plummeted from a high of 85,000 in 1994 to 11,600 today. The new numbers, released by South African farmers union Agri-SA, become even more of a shock given the number was approximately 13,500 a few months back. The mostly White, Afrikaaner-Boer farmers find themselves increasingly marginalized in a society that views them as “land barons”, a government that looks to expropriate their land, and “war like conditions” which include a corrupt police force. “The increase in armed attacks, robbery and theft of farm products and implements holds serious financial implications for agriculture in our country. This high crime rate is experienced by the industry as economic sabotage,” said Agri-SA spokesman André Botha. Farmers have been moving to neighboring African countries, whose governments have invited the farmers because of their expertise in producing bountiful crops in the tough African conditions. In addition to the loss of commercial farmers, more than 1 million black African farm workers have become unemployed and have had to move their families to squatter camps. In total, approximately 5 million people have been displaced.

Farmers Leaving South Africa

The number of commercial farmers in South Africa have plummeted from a high of 85,000 in 1994 to 11,600 today. The new numbers, released by ...

2:08 PM

Farms in South Africa KZN lie abandoned

<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269757579856093650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEto2mWtnNIwjAhyEy3T0VBbkeJFK05NCjD1j7JT2TiEgxOay_45d9Lm6K6BK975Mle-XjoILuBjUFaqe11gmE2vNGSqjKnvgKAXYzhqmvo1MgahBuCXu3AXNUMNP32z9xZ5g408lai8/s400/niggletAndVulture.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 262px" /><a href="http://www.thepost.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=739&fArticleId=vn20081117053356664C583317" title="KZN farms lie abandoned">KZN farms lie abandoned</a> 17 November 2008 Millions of rands spent by the government on land reform projects in Zululand have been wasted so far, with many farms handed to farmers since 2004 lying abandoned and derelict. More than 21 properties in the Empangeni and Eshowe districts, and reportedly many more across KZN bought by the land affairs department, lie fallow, producing only weeds, dead trees and choked sugar cane. Amid increased concern about food shortages, these farms have derelict or ransacked farmhouses and packing sheds. On some, pump houses have been reduced to rubble and farming equipment destroyed or stolen. Hennie de Villiers, a board member of the KZN agricultural union and chairman of the district agricultural committee in uThungulu - where more than 10 farms have been abandoned - said not only had land reform failed in the district, but it had also cost jobs and millions of rands in income from sugar cane, vegetables and export citrus. "At least 500 farm workers have lost their jobs. On one farm alone, over R9 million a year in income from export grapefruit has been squandered. All these farms were producing at least 60 tons of sugar cane a hectare a year. Now there is nothing," said de Villiers. On Valley Farm, Confluence, Concor and Grass Farm, valuable citrus trees are dead, irrigation pipes have been ripped from the ground and productive sugar cane fields have been either burnt or become overgrown with weeds. De Villiers said all the farms had been handed over as working entities. The new farmers inherited water rights, electricity, tractors and other farm implements. Pointing to a rusted trailer used to transport sugar cane, he said it had not moved for five years. "It's never been used. It's just been left to rot out in the open." This while the sugar industry in the province fights for its survival amid persisting drought conditions on the North Coast, rocketing input costs, low global sugar prices and more than 50 percent of the industry's land now under claim. Illovo Sugar managing director Don Macleod said cane supply had dropped from nearly three million tons a year to below 2,3 million tons for this year. "I won't be surprised if it drops to below two million next year. The knock-on effect is that mills are finding it hard to remain financially viable - in fact I would agree that at least one mill is going to close on the North Coast, if not next year at least the year after." Macleod said the land claim process had also taken its toll on the mental attitude of farmers. "When you think 85 000ha of cane land in KZN is under claim and only 2 200ha have been resolved, it has to affect people's mental attitudes. No farmer is going to invest in his property if he knows it's under claim." A land affairs department official said the reasons for the failed farm projects in KZN were complicated. "We really tried to get these projects going but there were social and political tensions between communities. In one case, the head of the community group was shot and killed. He was really a good farmer but the people didn't trust him. They believed he was taking money deposited directly into his bank account from the department for the project. That farm is now in the process of being repossessed by the Land Bank." Kwanalu's Sandy le Marque said land reform failures had brought agricultural projects across KZN to a halt. "There are hundreds of farms all over KZN which are in the same state as those in Empangeni and Eshowe." Melmoth Farmers' Association chairman Nick Harris said government bungling was the single biggest reason for the failure of the land reform process. "There are four farms in our district which are no longer productive. Neighbouring farmers are more than ready to plant and plough the fields for the new farmers, but there is so much red tape. "No one can get involved unless they are registered contractors with the agriculture department. "They have to be BEE accredited and it can take anything up to six months to get approval," Harrison said. "By then the planting season has passed. The new farmers are begging for help."

Farms in South Africa KZN lie abandoned

KZN farms lie abandoned 17 November 2008 Millions of rands spent by the government on land reform projects in Zululand have been wasted so ...

7:56 AM

South Africa P.I.G.