NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 123
DATE OF PUBLICATION: FRIDAY 26 MARCH 2010 [IQP No 7 -2010] SECOND SESSION,
FOURTH PARLIAMENT
Question 123 for Written Reply, National Council of Provinces: Mr. D A
Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:
1) Whether any productive farms purchased by the Government in Limpopo
since 1994 under the Land Acquisition Programme are (a) abandoned or (b)
unproductive; if so, (i) how many in each case, (ii) where are they
situated in the province and (iii) what will be done to resuscitate
these farms into economic sustainable units;
2) (a) Who will supply the expertise and support to the emerging farmers,
(b) at what cost and (c) what are the relevant budget allocations in
this regard;
3) (a) how many land claims have been submitted in the Greater Sekhukhune
District Municipality, (b) what is the progress on each of these claims,
(c) for which areas and/or farms have these claims been submitted, (d)
which of these claims are related to mining rights and/or activities and
(e) what are the major problem areas for the delays in processing these
claims? CW150E
REPLY:
1(a) No farms have been abandoned.
b) No farms are unproductive. However, most of the farms are operating
far below their potential due to lack of production capital, limited
skills and dilapidated farm infrastructure among others. Community
conflict is one of the leading factors in group based projects.
i) There are 81 farms purchased by the Government since 1994 which
are operating below their potential.
ii) Of the total number of farms which are operating below their
potential, 5 farms are registered in the Land Bank office of
Modimolle, 22 in Polokwane and 54 in Tzaneen.
iii) The Value Chain Financial model (VCFM) will be utilised for the
financing of both small holder farmers in the curatorship model
and new small holdersâ farmers requiring funding from the Land
Bank. This is a matter under discussion between the Minister of
Finance, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and
Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform.
2(a) The expertise and support to emerging farmers will involve the
participation of input suppliers, commodity groups, scientists (e.g.
agronomists), crop insurers, markets and DAFF. The Land Bank will
play a pivotal role in facilitating linkages between different
groups. This will help farmers get access to technical support,
training and mentorship, and technology transfer services. DAFF in
partnership with these identified partners will package different
schemes (livestock, crop, forestry, aquaculture etc) for easy access.
(b) By end of quarter 1 (April 2010 â June 2010), Land bank will
present to the three Ministers (DAFF, DRDLR and Finance) a business
plan for the resuscitation of farms in distress.
(c) The business plan to be presented by Land bank will highlight
relevant budget allocation for each form of enterprise.
(3)(a) The number of land claims submitted in the Greater Sekhukhune
District Municipality is 262
(b) Of the total number of claims lodged in the Greater Sekhukhune
District Municipality, 28 are settled, 234 are outstanding, and of the
outstanding claims, there are 227 claims that are still under research
and they will be gazetted, verified, valuated and the formation of
legal entity and settlement will be completed between March 2010 and
June 2011, there are still negotiations on 1 claim and a court case is
underway for 1 claim to establish ownersâ dispute validation. Of the
28 claims that are settled, 6 claims were dismissed for non-
compliance.
(c) There were 54 claims lodged at Makhuduthamaga, 24 at Fetakgomo, 52
at Elias Motswaledi, 117 at Greater Tubatse and 15 at Greater Marble
Hall Local Municipalities.
(d) There were 21 claims related to mining rights activities
(e) Major problem areas for the delay in processing the claims were
boundary disputes, chieftainship vs Land Rights â there are perceptions
that rights on land should be according to seniority of occupation,
claimants do not want to divorce the land rights from cultural land holding
system under chieftaincy, development by the Municipality on claimed land,
the overlapping claims, conflict amongst members of the projects, weak
relationship between legal entities and other leadership, limited business
models for restitution and the incapacity amongst beneficiaries