Hon Chair, Minister firstly when you responded to the question you said you do not have the register. We accept that but the register of the land that is owned by foreigners ... [Inaudible.] I want to start here; we must abolish the ownership of land by foreigners. We cannot allow that we as South Africans do not own lands but foreigners have got land in our country.
The second question is this hon Minister, when are you going to discontinue the ownership of land by few individuals, because the South African land must be owned by all South Africans. It is actually two questions in one; the first is about foreigners and individuals that own land.
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT:
Thank you very much hon member, I think the decision on whether or not we abolish the fact that individuals must own land is not a decision- no I am starting with the second one. It is not the decision of an individual Minister. It would have to be the legislature that will have to decide in terms of law. You are in a better position as you are sitting in the ad hoc committee that is looking at the amendment of Section 25, you can propose that amendment. Section 25 allows everyone of us to actually a right in ownership of land as being one asset and property.
If you seek to change that dispensation, you will have to do it through the amendment of the Constitution. I think you can convince your colleagues who are part to that committee as well as the two Houses to understand your position as why you the ownership must be in the hands of the state. That is the answer; I cannot give you a timeline because that is not dependant on me.
Secondly, abolishing the ownership of land by foreigners, again it can never be the decision of a Minister. It would be a decision of the legislature, so you can propose that as the EFF you actually think that this should be the dispensation that is followed and convince other parties as well to see whether or not they would agree with you and if there is a need of a legislation that should be done. Thank you very much.
Hon Chair, hon Minister as South Africa we are desperately looking for foreign investment for growth. How will the contradicting policy of the ANC as it was specifically said by your predecessor that foreign nationals should have lease only in South Africa, encourage foreign investment in the current unemployment crisis which we saw today is at 29,1%?
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Hon
member, I have just answered the question even though I was not answering you about our view on the treatment of land ownership by foreign nationals, I have answered that. I am saying it will depend on this Parliament what they would want to do. You say my predecessor made a proposal to the effect that foreign nationals must only have a lease hold. That is not in law, it was a proposal and that is not in policy, it was a proposal. For anything to have an effect, it would have to be policy supported by legislation. Until such is done, there is nothing. In my own view, there is no policy contradiction as we speak here today on that matter and I do not think foreign investors at the do not find South Africa's dispensation for foreign investment adverse in any way. Thank you very much.
Thank you hon Chair, Minister...
IsiXhosa:
... inxalenye yalo mbuzo sele uwuphendule. Ezolimo lelinye lamashishini elidala amathuba emisebenzi nengqesho kweli lizwe. Xa abatyali zimali bangaphandle sizakubaqeshisela umhlaba, hayi ubunini bomhlaba, uthi ngubani ozakufaka imali yakhe kuloo meko? Amathuba emisebenzi azakuba phi ke wona? Enkosi Sihlalo.