Giving people land with no support does not equate to successful land reform
In the light of today’s grossly misleading media reports regarding land reform, the DA will be laying a complaint with the Press Ombudsman against the Mail & Guardian in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African print and online media, Section 2.2 of the Code which states that “News shall be presented in context and in a balanced manner, without any intentional or negligent departure...”
The DA would like to set the record straight. It is fundamentally flawed to argue that the DA-run Western Cape Government’s success in land reform is solely due to funding sourced from the National Budget.
The reality is that the Western Cape Government’s support for farmers has been crucial to their success. The DA does not believe that simply giving people land and leaving them to fend for themselves equates to successful land reform.
This is part of the failure of National Government, whereas where the DA governs we have ensured and emphasised better support for agriculture projects.
The DA has a proven track record in making grants available to black emerging farmers to support them and ensure that their land ownership is sustainable and profitable.