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Landownership negotiable

Press statement by ANC Study Group on Agriculture Water Affairs
Mon 18 September 1995

In response to the press statement made by the Minister of Agriculture on "Landownership (of commercial farmers) is not negotiable", at the Annual Congress of the Transvaal Agricultural Union in Pretoria on 05-09-95. The ANC Study Group on Agriculture Water Affairs and Forestry condemns the statement in the strongest terms.

It is irresponsible of the Minister to issue such a disturbing statement when the constitution makes it possible for Landownership to be negotiable. The interi constitution provides for the restitution of land rights that a person or a community shall be entitled tclai restitution of a right in land if such person or community was dispossesed of such right. The restitution of Land rights Act 22 of 1994 further makes provisions for the establishment of the Land Claims Commission and the Land Claims Court. These provisions allow those who were previously dispossessed of land to claim back their land. In most causes this land is owned by commercial farmers. It is on this basis that the ANC Study Group condemns the statement by the Minister of Agriculture because it violates the provisions of the constitution. In terms of these provisions landownership is negotiable.

It is therefore irresponsible of the Minister to issue a statement that raises feelings and threats which amongst other reads, "The landownership of commercial farmers is not negotiable, if it disappears, he (the Minister) is prepared to lead farmers to the point of responsible aggression" "and it further reads" the time has come for organised agriculture from the Transvaal to the Northern Cape and elsewhere to unite in a fight against negative influences threatening its survival". Should there be any misunderstanding and conflict between the commercial farmers and claimants of land in the process of land restitution rights the Minister would be held solely responsible.

The manner in which the Minister wrote the statement suggests the he is not only against the Move to access the majority of our people to land but also to the Reconstruction and Development Programme.

We reject his statement and on the other hand call on all those who were dispossessed of land to use the law and claim back their land be it commercial subsistence, industrial, mining and whatever.

Issued by the ANC Study Group on Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry.
14 September 1995