Deputy Speaker, whilst the ACDP supports equal access to land by all our people, we nevertheless believe it is misleading to claim that expropriation of land without compensation, which is part of government's land reform process, poses no direct threat to the agricultural sector and the economy as a whole.
It was reported in late 2018 that agricultural output dropped by 30%, which caused a reduction in the GDP. The South African Agricultural Machinery Association said that most commercial farmers have started scaling back on expansion projects in light of government's threats against agricultural property rights. The Banking Association South Africa has also confirmed that there has been a marked decline in investment in farm land.
Deputy President, given these facts, why does government continue to claim that expropriation without compensation poses no direct threat to the agricultural sector, the economy, and racial harmony when the facts speak otherwise? Thank you.