Farming reform will mean changing policy, says Joemat-Pettersson

AGRICULTURE, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said on Thursday she could not promise the agricultural sector complete policy stability, as the government is committed to pursuing transformation imperatives, including land reform and rural development, that require policy and legislative changes.

Land reform in South Africa continues to be a thorny issue. Debate around it has dragged on for almost two decades, creating a lot of uncertainty in the agricultural sector.

Earlier this week, the National Assembly approved the Land Rights Amendment Bill, which reopens land claims for those who were forcibly removed from their land from 1913 onwards. Both the Freedom Front Plus and the Democratic Alliance opposed the bill, but for different reasons.

Speaking at the Agri-sector Unity Forum policy conference in Stellenbosch, Ms Joemat-Pettersson said the National Development Plan (NDP) "proposes a differentiated rural development strategy, which has agriculture as an essential component. The NDP advocates agricultural development based on successful land reform, employment creation and strong environmental safeguards."

The NDP’s overall framework committed the government to "transformation imperatives", including land reform and rural development, most aspects of which required policy and legislative changes. "So I am not going to promise complete policy stability. I cannot just accept the status quo. But what I can commit to you is to ensure that your voices are heard in the policy space and that you have an opportunity to influence the outcomes," said Ms Joemat-Pettersson. READ MORE

Source: BusinessDay Live. #IFAMAFRICA