DA welcomes extension for comment on Regulation of Agri Land Holdings Bill

13 April 2017

The DA welcomes the extension of the deadline for public comment on the draft Regulation of Agriculture Land Holdings Bill, which will now close on 17 May 2017.

However, we have noted with concern that the draft Bill, in its current form, is blunt and inaccurate. It seeks to introduce ironclad limitations on agricultural land ownership at a time where food security and foreign direct investment are increasingly fragile.

Given the timing of the bill and its numerous potential adverse effects on job creation, investment and successful land reform, the DA calls on the public and stakeholders to submit their comment to ensure that this ill-conceived bit of legislation gets the attention it deserves.

Rather than working to govern the agricultural sector better, and in doing so create an environment where our country can flourish and foster new growth, the ANC is attempting to legislate its way to superficial outcomes.

While the need for land reform is undeniable, it is imperative that land reform be accelerated in a responsible manner, and with due consideration for Constitutional rights and investor confidence.

The DA remains hopeful that the tabled Bill will reflect a much more sophisticated solution for proposed agricultural land reform, at which point we will commit to engaging with it thoroughly.

The DA is committed to a sustainable system of land transfer that benefits the many, not just the few.

Issued by Thomas Walters, DA Shadow Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, 13 April 2017