Government tries to ‘pull wool over’ Limpopo farmer’s eyes by offering to sell him just half of his land

20 November 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the belated and long overdue release of the deed of sale by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DALRRD) to Mr. David Rakgase due to sustained pressure from the DA.

This, after the landmark North Gauteng High Court judgment back in September, compelled the State to sell the farm to Mr. Rakgase. The Court found that the State breached its Constitutional duties in its handling of Mr. Rakgase’s attempts to buy the Nooitgedacht farm he had successfully worked for nearly 30 years.

The DALRRD took almost two months to make an offer to Mr. Rakgase after the court decision, and now it has emerged that Government has only offered to sell half of the farm to Mr. Rakgase. The Department is clearly still in contempt of court as the High Court compelled the State to sell the entire farm to Mr. Rakgase.

The DALRRD is attempting to pull wool over Mr. Rakgase’s eyes and clearly had no intention to comply with the court order to sell the entirety of the Nooitgedacht farm to this deserving emerging farmer.

The DA recognises land reform as a moral imperative and an emotive issue. Unfortunately, the ANC government has been failing to stick to the principle behind it — which is that land reform must benefit poor South Africans who were previously denied ownership by a wicked apartheid regime.

It is immoral that the ANC government would try and drag Mr. Rakgase’s battle for ownership in this manner.

The ANC only acts as if they care about land reform, but in reality, all they care about is keeping emerging black farmers in their control to advance their narrow party political fortunes -  in the ANC principles count for nothing.

Instead of playing with the emotions of Mr. Rakgase, the DA implores upon the DALRRD to do the right thing and immediately expedite the process of this deserving farmer building his legacy for future generations.

While the ANC government continues to deprive emerging black farmers of their full rights to ownership of their land, the DA will continue to fight for the rights of those previously left behind and truly empower them to be all they can be.

Issued by Annette Steyn,DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, 20 November 2019