AgriSA heads to international community over farm issues
AgriSA is demanding the African National Congress (ANC) in the Northern Cape retract its list of farms that stand to be expropriated in the province.
Last week it was revealed that the governing party had identified 13 farms for expropriation without compensation.
Speaking to JacaNews last week, the party's provincial secretary, Deshi Ngxanga, said the provincial leadership met two weeks ago to discuss ways to fast-track the process, “given that there's a slow pace of delivering on this very important aspect.
“The PEC went further to identify the farms and we are saying that inasmuch as we have identified the farms, we wait for due processes to follow in Parliament. As soon as that decision is taken, we'll follow the legal routes in ensuring that all those farms will be expropriated in line with the resolution of the ANC," said Ngxanga.
AgriSA's Dan Kriek says they have appealed to the national leadership of the ANC to intervene in this regard.
"AgriSA engages with government, the ANC, and all other organisations with the understanding that we all respect due process and the rule of law,” said Kriek.
"We regard the latest statement by the Northern Cape ANC as being in breach of these principles. We have appealed to the national leadership of the ANC to intervene.
"We will not hesitate to litigate in order to protect private property rights, which we regard as absolutely critical for economic growth that we sorely need as a country, " Kriek said.
AgriSA's Omari Van Zyl says that on Friday they did brief the Trump administration by engaging its deputy secretary, John J. Sullivan, on the amendment of Section 25 of the South African Constitution and the ANC in Northern Cape’s list.
According to Van Zyl, they also briefed Sullivan on the issue of farm violence and farm murders, as well as corruption within government.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries says no productive farmer will have their farm taken away from them.
The department's Khaye Nkwanyana says land expropriation without compensation process will only begin once the Parliamentary process to amend the Constitution has been concluded.
"Even once the process is completed, government has been consistent in saying that the application of that law (amending section 25) will not be an act of targeting productive farms that are commercially contributing to the economy of this country, farmers that are contributing to food security in this country," Nkwanyana said.