New land claims already totalling 54 351

13 April 2015

Already 54 351 new restitution land claims in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act, 15 of 2014, have been submitted. This figure was released by the minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Mr. Gugile Nkwinti, in response to a question in Parliament of Dr. Pieter Groenewald of the Freedom Front Plus.

"New restitution land claims was re-opened for five years until 2019. The 54 351 new claims in less than a year after the re-opening of the process, already makes up 68% of the 79 600 claims which had been submitted between 1994 and 1998. After 16 years, there are still nearly 5 000 of the initial claims which have not been finalised. If the current figure is projected over a period of five years, more than 200 000 claim can be expected. The department itself expects more than 300 000 claims. If it took 16 years to finalise 75 000 claims, it would take more than half a century to finalise 200 000 claims," Dr. Pieter Groenewald, the parliamentary spokesperson on Rural Development and Land Reform said.

"The Freedom Front Plus has already warned that the re-opening of land claims will create great uncertainty in the agricultural sector. New claims will result in claims taking many years to finalise all the claims.

"Due to the possibility of a land claim, the majority of farmers are not expanding their agricultural activities at present. Currently the South African commercial agricultural sector needs certainty about the future to ensure through new investments and developments that enough food is produced for everybody in the future.

"What South Africa needs at present is that agricultural land which has already been transferred to new black farmers, produce food successfully. South Africa needs more successful commercial farmers. Nine out of every ten successful land claims have resulted in failure, according to figures provided by the minister Nkwinti. We cannot afford fertile land become unproductive while the population is growing and more food is needed daily," Dr. Groenewald said.

Question and answer:

QUESTION 1255 - INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 9-2015 FIFTH PARLIAMENT]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 MARCH 2015

1255. Dr P J Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1)  How many new claims have been submitted since the implementation of the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act, Act 15 of 2014;

(2) whether he will make a statement on the matter?  NW1464E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

(1)  54351 land claims have been lodged with the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights since the implementation of the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act, 2014 (Act No 15 of 2014) as of 27 March 2015.

(2)  No.

Statement issued by Dr. Pieter Groenewald,  FF Plus parliamentary spokesperson: Rural Development and Land Reform, April 13 2015