House Chairperson, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform have been neglecting the smallholder farmers as well as subsistence farmers. The department does not sufficiently monitor how these farmers have progressed through the assistance given to them. They seemingly have been left out in the cold.
These farmers occupy an area in the industry of vulnerability. They are expected to maximise production as well as sustain employment as the previous owners did. The use of mentors and strategic matters has also not paid the intended dividends.
We see that much of the funds allocated for farmers to use for development are diverted to the pockets of the mentors and strategic partners. This issue has an obviously negative on this vulnerable group's ability to run a farm successfully.
Consequently, this has led to the perception that land reform farmers are incompetent and failures. We find that the department has also been leasing farms to people without the proper verification system in place to assess their ability and knowledge of the farming industry.
Together with short leasing periods and the lack of due diligence we often see land reform projects failing. The failure of land reform and to ensure the success of smallholder farmers affects South Africa's food security.
Our Constitution enshrines the right to food security and emphasises the duty of the state to formulate legislation and measures to achieve the realisation of these progressive rights.
The right to food is not limited to one group of people but for everyone regardless of their dispossession and must be available, accessible and adequate. South Africa's own National Development Plan, NDP, and global Sustainable Development Goals both prioritise the realisation of proper food security and to end hunger. [Time expired.]
IsiZulu:
Kunjalo siwawuxhasa umbiko, Sihlalo. Ngiyabonga.
Afrikaans: