Agri SA
Media Release
Posbus/ PO Box 1508 Pretoria 0001, Tel +27+12 300 9500, Faks/ Fax +27+12 320 0557
13 September 2007
AGRI SA’S MISGIVINGS REGARDING DEPUTY MINISTER’S STATEMENT ON EXPROPRIATION
The threat made by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Dirk du Toit that land would be expropriated (“we are going to take their land”) to put an end to unjustifiable evictions of people from farms amidst an alleged “medieval practice which is allowed to continue and continue”, was met with shock and extreme disappointment within agricultural circles. Agri SA’s president, Lourie Bosman, its Deputy President, Johannes Möller, and chairmen of provincial and commodity organisations are furious and have been overwhelmed by enquiries from landowners as well as the local and international media.
Agri SA regards Du Toit’s utterances as a continuation of the malicious politicking aimed at farmers and the sector as it is at present. The same malice is not shown where evictions take place from other properties, even from state land. Given the prevailing unsatisfactory security situation in farming communities, they certainly do not need such inflammatory remarks, especially considering the available mechanisms and programmes whereby these specific needs can be adequately addressed.
Lourie Bosman pointed out that Agri SA has an understanding with the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs that information would be exchanged regarding illegal evictions of farm workers and that the legal process would, where necessary, take its course. Legislation that regulates this issue was developed in terms of the Constitution of South Africa. For this reason it would be fair to expect office bearers of the government to endorse the use of law enforcement via the legal process as an acceptable remedy for eviction offences instead of resorting opportunistically to the use of other legislation for this purpose.
“Since the beginning of the year not a single case of illegal farm evictions has come to Agri SA’s attention. Our conclusion is therefore that the Deputy Minister also regards legal evictions as unfair. If this is the case, it is strange and absurd to find that, in a constitutional state where legislation is developed and implemented within a democratic dispensation, landowners have to be threatened with expropriation while they operate within the legal framework. Agri SA also doubts whether expropriation powers, which are available for serving public interest or are legislated for other specific purposes, could be used to threaten landowners with regard to this matter,” says Bosman.
Agri SA rejects threats of this nature, which create unnecessary uncertainty among landowners and investors in general regarding the government’s approach to property rights, and the manner in which social issues, which arise due to macroeconomic circumstances, are handled. He said that agriculture had undergone “profound structural and demographic changes over the past ten years. This trend cannot be changed successfully through ill-considered government interventions. The causes and effects thereof should instead be managed on a partnership basis between the stakeholders. Agri SA’s commitment to this – as set out, among others, in the Strategic Plan for South African Agriculture, is well known. Unfortunately this is undermined by remarks such as those made by Du Toit”.
Bosman confirmed that Agri SA was planning to raise its objections to these threats with President Mbeki and would request the President to provide the necessary clarification and retraction in this regard.
Issued by the Directorate: Corporate Liaison
Enquiries: Lourie Bosman, Agri SA President, 082 388 3000
Johannes Möller, Agri SA Deputy President, 082 641 8481
