In a media statement Agri SA said it always responded in a deliberative and informed manner to proposals and statements made pubicly on land reform.
“Agri SA remains actively involved in the debate around land reform which has been waged over the past few years,” said Agri SA president, Johannes Möller.
Matters raised included the reopening of the restitution claims process, minister of rural development and land reform Gugile Nkwinti’s proposals for strengthening relative rights of farm workers, the communal ownership of land, the implications of the Constitutional Court ruling in Agri SA’s lawsuit against the Minister of Minerals and Energy, the Promotion and Protection of Investments Bill, the constitutional protection of property rights and the National Planning Commission’s proposals on land reform.
Agri SA urged government to base its land reform policy on plans that could be realistically implemented. It supported sustainable land reform that was economically viable and would sustain production.
“The poor state of the economy confirms that the state should be reconsidering various issues, an important one being the security of property rights. This will also persuade Agri SA once again to join forces with government in seeking workable methods of land reform,” said Möller.
