NKWINTI SPEAKS WITH FORKED TONGUE ABOUT LAND

"The warning of the Minister of rural development and land reform, Gugile Nkwinti, that farmers have to cooperate in order to avert a crisis worse than Zimbabwe , is irresponsible and creates uncertainty (see report).. The farmers have been cooperating for a long time already, but it is the government and its incompetent officials who do not cooperate. The fact that Nkwinti shares the views of black South Africans, i.e. that land has to be nationalised, is in contrast with what he said last week in Parliament. Nkwinti therefore speaks with a forked tongue," Mr. Pieter Groenewald, the FF Plus' Parliamentary spokesperson on rural development and land reform says.

"Comments like these create the impression with the South African agricultural community that the Minister subconsciously encourages Zimbabwean-type land reforms. It is not in the interest of anybody in South Africa . Land reform will start succeeding if the government starts intervening in all the failed land reform projects. Nkwinti himself acknowledged that 90% of the projects have failed. If the government does not intervene in the failed projects, the valuable agricultural land, which has to ensure food security will be lost for ever," Groenewald said.

Statement issued by Pieter Groenewald, MP, FF Plus Parliamentary Spokesperson: Rural Development and Land Reform, March 30 2010

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