Hon Deputy Chair, the answer is yes. Secondly, we are aware of the growing trend of African countries to recruit South African farmers for agricultural projects and commercial farming. This is in the Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, etc. Thank you.
Chairperson, I would also like to know if there are agreements with these countries with regard to the security of the property of the farmers who go there.
Hon Chairperson, we have bilateral agreements with the countries that have been identified, and the countries themselves have critical legislation in that regard. If you as a commercial farmer, or a businessperson in general, engage in work in a particular country, obviously you subscribe to the principles and the law of that country. Overriding all of that is the type of bilateral relations that we have. In that context, when people enter those countries at the level of business, they need to abide by the legislation that applies.
Deputy Chair, I would like to know whether the Deputy Minister has and could make available any figures on the number of South African farmers who are now farming, for argument's sake, in Mozambique, the Congo, Georgia, Angola and all of these places. Are such figures available? Thank you.
I suspect that that question should be directed to the relevant department dealing with agriculture.
South Africa's participation in discussions on developments in Syria, and engagement in bilateral talks with Syria
17. Ms N D Ntwanambi (ANC) asked the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation:
(1) Whether, in light of the recent (a) voting on the resolution of the United Nations to pave the way for peaceful transition and stopping of human rights violations and (b) allegations of shooting of innocent protesters in Syria, South Africa has been engaged in any discussions with other major role-players and nations at the UN to prevent a situation similar to the one that occurred in Libya; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether South Africa has made any attempts to engage in bilateral talks with political leaders in Syria or any other Arab League nations to ensure that Syria engages in peaceful transition and political dialogue that will achieve long-term peace and stability; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CO104E
Deputy Chairperson, the answer is yes. As a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for the two-year period 2011 to 2012, South Africa has definitely been participating actively in all the deliberations of the council on the developments in Syria since the start of public protests in that country.
During these discussions, South Africa made it clear that it was opposed to any form of external intervention to bring about a regime change in Syria, as had happened in Libya, and that it was up to the Syrian people themselves to bring about the changes in government they desired through an all-inclusive national dialogue free of violence and intimidation. In the UN Security Council South Africa supported a draft resolution introduced by the League of Arab States which reflected this approach. It was vetoed by China and Russia. In the UN General Assembly, where there is no veto right, South Africa subsequently voted in favour of a similar resolution, which was adopted by an overwhelming majority. The answer to the second part to that question is yes. South Africa has actively engaged at a high level with the Syrian authorities in this context, both bilaterally and within the framework of the India-Brazil- South Africa, Ibsa, forum.
The situation in Syria was also discussed during a meeting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the Brics countries. Talks have also been held with the secretary-general of the League of Arab States, and those discussions continue.
Re-admission to the Bar of lawyers previously barred from practising as a result of links with liberation movements
18. Mr D V Bloem (Cope) asked the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
Whether his department will consider re-admitting to the Bar lawyers who were previously barred from practising as a result of their links with liberation movements; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CO75E
Deputy Chairperson, the answer is that we are aware that a practising advocate may choose to be a member either of the General Council of the Bar of South Africa, GCB, or of an independent Bar. The rules for admission to a Bar are set by the GCB or the independent Bar concerned.
The GCB has indeed readmitted some of the members struck from the roll on account of their involvement in the struggle, and some have been readmitted posthumously. The readmission of Duma Nokwe is one such example.
The department keeps and maintains the register of admitted advocates and re-enters the name of any advocate who has been readmitted by a court of law.
The situation of attorneys is slightly different from that of advocates. Attorneys must belong to a law society which has jurisdiction in the area where such attorney practises. Similarly, an attorney who has been removed from the roll due to his involvement in the struggle may be re-enrolled through his or her own application to court or through a law society.
The Department of Justice, in its regular interactions with the legal profession, does encourage the readmittance to the Bar of lawyers who were previously banned from practising as a result of their links with the liberation movements. Thank you, Deputy Chairperson.
Introduction of more stringent legislation to make all forms of racist behaviour a punishable crime and details relating thereto
19. Mr D V Bloem (Cope) asked the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
Whether, with reference to a recent case (details furnished), his department will consider introducing more stringent legislation that will make all forms of racist behaviour a punishable crime with strict bail or no bail conditions, as opposed to sending offenders to Equality or Human Rights Courts; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?