Madam Chairperson, I'll only respond to committee members. I won't deal with people who are here representing farmers only, knowing that South Africa has all kinds of people and the entire population is represented by the majority of the people of South Africa, and not farmers only.
The 2007-08 budget of the Department of Land Affairs is a substantial testimony to the ANC-led government's commitment to land reform and social justice. The increase in the 2007 financial year showed that through the restitution programme we are indeed committed to restoring dignity to hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries who were victims of racial dispossession. We all know that it took you, in your era, one minute to dispossess, destroy and displace those people. It will take us some time to replace them on their own land.
We fully support the turnaround strategy that the Ministry is coming up with, like Operation Gijima and the Special Purpose Vehicle project to speed up the process of land redistribution. The ANC supports Budget Vote No 28. I thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Vote agreed to (Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 29 - Minerals and Energy - put.
Declarations of vote: