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Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza at a press conference ahead of her budget voting speech on Tuesday. (Jan Gerber / News24)
- More than 5,000 people applied for state-owned land available for agriculture.
- In October, Didiza announced that about 529,000 ha of land totaling 894 farms across the country were destined for liberation.
- However, it has been alleged that some government officials had written eviction letters to individuals and communities on state lands.
In less than a month, the government has received more than 5,000 online applications for state lands that will be available for agricultural purposes.
The Minister of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, said hundreds of more applications were submitted to the department’s offices.
On Tuesday, Didiza gave an update on the government’s reform plans during a press conference in Pretoria.
In early October, Didiza announced that 700,000 hectares of land would be available for agricultural purposes.
READ | The government prepares to release 700,000 hectares of vacant and underutilized land for agriculture
In October, Didiza announced that around 529,000 ha of land totaling 894 farms across the country were scheduled to be released on October 15, 2020.
“We indicate that the state lands in question comprise lands that are currently occupied by individuals and communities residing on state lands without the lease agreements; the communities that applied for the 30-year lease and their applications were never finalized and those that never applied for lands state, but they are interested in carrying out agricultural activities ”, said Didiza.
He also said that a land investigation process would be undertaken to determine the status of occupation and how those lands were handed over to these communities or individuals.
“This process will ensure that the proper procedure for formalization and regularization is carried out. This is a way of allowing the state to have a record of which farm is occupied by whom and what activities are being carried out on that property land. state in particular, “he said. said.
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Any investment made by the beneficiary must be registered, valued, and reported to the state. The beneficiaries would pay a monthly or annual rental rate per hectare determined by the state, according to the value of the land according to the valuation of the area.
A credit management system would be put in place to manage debt recovery and management.
If you fail to comply with any of the contractual obligations listed above, the state would consider the option to terminate the lease.
Didiza said that some government officials were alleged to have written eviction letters to individuals and communities on state lands.
“In some cases, there have been complaints from our officials demanding bribes of hundreds of thousands of rand to access the land. This conduct is unacceptable and criminal. We want to advise our communities to take these matters to the acting director general’s office to receive attention and to the nearest police station, “he said.
Didiza said that the main objective of the agrarian reform process was not to destabilize the agricultural sector. “[It is] put in place a state land administration and management system that ensures security of land tenure, stability and provides an opportunity for sustainable food security and economic growth, “he said.
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