Whether her department has offered any (a) training and (b) support to (i) small-scale farmers and (ii) farmworkers to combat fires; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
a) Yes. Both the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and the Provincial Department of Agriculture offer continuous training and awareness to small scale farmers on the following:
- Basic Fire Management NQF 1;
- Veldfire awareness and prevention;
- National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 1998;
- Structure of veldfires;
- Basic veldfire behaviour;
- Veldfire suppression tools and equipment;
- Fine fuel suppression techniques and tactics; ...
Whether her department has put any measures in place to curb the effects of food insecurity in the rural areas of the Republic; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Yes. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) is implementing the Agriculture Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) and the National Food and Nutrition Security Plan (NFNSP) to ensure that there are sector-wide comprehensive strategies to revitalize and bolster rural economies, improve food security as well as create sustainable jobs and economic opportunities. The plans seek to provide a sector blueprint to spearhead ...
Whether her department has conducted any investigation into the (a) alleged abuse and (b) dire living conditions of farmworkers in the 2022-23 financial year; if not, why not, in each case; if so, (i) how often were the specified investigations conducted, (ii) what were the findings of each investigation and (iii) what are the further, relevant details in this regard?
(a),(b) No. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has no mandate towards farmworkers’ living conditions. DALRRD is responsible for the provision of long-term security of tenure in terms of Extension of Security of Tenure Act, 1997 (Act No. 62 of 1997) (ESTA) and Land Reform Labour Tenants Act, 1996 (Act No.3 of 1996).
(i), (ii), (iii) Falls away.
Whether she has found that all the adversities faced by her department lately, such as wheat yield shortages and the avian influenza, could have been avoided by retaining the large number of Assistant Agricultural Practitioners who were axed; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
No. Additional Assistant Agricultural Practitioners (AAPS) would not have played any significant role in preventing the outbreak of diseases as their role would have been to provide agricultural extension services and not necessarily biosecurity; which is performed by the Animal Health Technicians. They were also not involved in the advisory services to produce wheat which is a highly mechanized operation. Most wheat producers are ...
What measures are in place to (a) protect small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises and (b) encourage entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector?
a) To protect small- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, the Competition Act No. 89 of 1998 was promulgated for the establishment of a Competition Commission responsible for the investigation, control and evaluation of restrictive practices, abuse of dominant position and mergers. This law prohibits anti-competitive agreements between businesses and the abuse of a dominant position by a business. Businesses that infringe competition laws may face ...
(a) Which rural areas has she identified as priorities for rural development and (b) what prominent rural development projects are currently underway that are focused specifically on infrastructure development, considering that the National Development Plan and other development trajectories indicate the Republic’s ambitions to become a developmental state and noting that rural areas remain largely marginalised, with little or no infrastructure development, and high levels of pervasive poverty?
a) The Department is focused on 44 district municipalities across all nine provinces in South Africa. The beneficiaries are rural households, communities living in villages and traditional authority areas, and agricultural farmers.
The Integrated Rural Development Sector Strategy (IRDSS) prioritises six pillars in implementing the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme through which the Department will co-ordinate, facilitate and implement catalytic projects to address the triple ...
What measures has her department put in place to employ persons who will service farmers that were left in the cold following the termination of Assistant Agricultural Practitioners’ contracts?
The role of Assistant Agricultural Practitioners was to assist the current Extension Practitioners who are trained to provide technical assistance to farmers. As at April 2023 there were 2 077 Extension Practitioners employed across all provinces who are continuing with the frontline service of providing technical support to farmers.
The existing practitioners are also trained on new extension approaches such as the Smallholder Empowerment ...
Whether she has taken action in providing clarity on the eviction notices relating to case numbers 1332/15 and 69085/2013 and the original land claim 1998-2014 by the Motha family who between 1930 and 1945 lived in Sycamore/Elandhoek 339JT, Arlie/Rietspruit 473JT, Hemlock/Vlakplaats 476JT and Watal/ Dooringhoek 341JT in Mpumalanga, as the Emakhazeni Local Municipality in collaboration with farm owner sought to evict the community of Sycamore farm and intimidated them to sign attendance registers in contravention of the provisions of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, Act 19 of 1998; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Yes. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) provided clarity on the eviction notices relating to case numbers 13432/2015 and 69085/2013.
DALRRD was required in terms of a court order to provide land for purposes of accommodating individuals evicted from the farms. DALRRD appointed Advocate Lucky Makomati Zwane of the Mpumalanga Bar to represent the interests of DALRRD in the matter, ...
Whether, in light of the undertaking by the former President, Mr J G Zuma, in his State of the Nation Address in 2015, any legislation has been developed to limit the sale of land to foreigners; if so, what are the relevant details; if not,
(2) whether her department has considered to introduce legislation addressing limitations on foreign land ownership in light of the economic advantages non-South Africans have that drive South Africans out of the land and property market; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) what total number of hectares of land has been sold to non-South Africans from 1 January 2015 to date;
(4) what initiatives did her department specifically design to prioritise and/or protect the land rights of native South Africans who may be economically disadvantaged in the context of the acquisition of land by non-citizens?
(1),(2) The regulation of land ownership by foreign nationals is being addressed through the Land Acquisition and Redistribution Bill that is being developed and should soon serve before Cabinet for permission to publish for public comment. Amongst others the Land Acquisition and Redistribution Bill seeks to provide for compulsory land ownership disclosures by race, gender and nationality. It will further require disclosures in terms ...
With reference to her reply to question 15 on 4 May 2023, what (a) is the (i) name of each farm, (ii) exact area where each farm is located, (iii) name of the previous owner/leasee of each farm and (iv) lease payment for each farm and (b) are the details of (i) fixed and any other movable assets bought and (ii) the cost at which the assets were bought;
(2) whether the specified farms are productive; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what is the current use of each farm, including the produce that is being carried out on each farm;
(3) whether any blended finance is being considered; if not, why not; if so, what (a) are the relevant details of the blended finance, (b) is the name of each beneficiary and (c) are the details as reasons for the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s involvement and cost set aside for their project execution?
(a) (i),(ii),(iii),(iv) Please refer to Annexure A.
(b) (i) None.
(ii) Falls away.
2. The status quo remains the same; production at these farms is not at an expected level. The Department through existing producer support initiatives including infrastructure support intends, over time, to assist to improve productivity levels.
3. Yes. Blended Finance Scheme (BFS) is a funding instrument open for consideration. However, ...
