Getting land reform to work well

THE strengthening of the relative land rights programme – introduced in 2014 by land reform maestro Minister Gugile Nkwinti – has shifted to a higher gear with more than 100 farmers indicating their interest in taking part in this new land reform programme.

The relative land rights programme entails acquiring 50% of a farm by the department of rural development and land reform for the benefit of farmworkers.

This programme has its genesis in the Freedom Charter which states that land shall be shared by those who work it – in this case farmowners and farmworkers.

At first this programme came under severe criticism by those who were skeptical of its potential for success and to be of benefit.

Some academics and land activists felt it would further enrich the landowners while the landless majority thought it was doomed to fail.

Minister Nkwinti was at pains to explain that his initiative would usher in smooth and peaceful redistribution of land without the risk of interrupting land markets and food production.

However, things have changed and both farmers and farmworkers have come to realise the benefits of the 50/50 policy.

The 50/50 land redistribution programme aims to reinforce the proactive land acquisition programme in which people, other than civil servants, are given farms by government on a trial lease basis for a period of five years, sometimes with an option to purchase.

If a proactive lease owner is successful within the five years he or she stands a chance of being given such a farm, alternatively of having their lease extended for up to 30 years during which time he or she will be able to use the land as collateral to raise finance to improve that farming venture.

Recently, the department of rural development and land reform unveiled another successful 50/50 citrus farm in the Eastern Cape – the Sun Orange Citrus farm in Kirkwood in the Sundays River Valley municipality.

The Sun Orange Citrus farm’s 50 farmworkers now have a 50% shareholding of the farming business. The previous farmowners have 40% and the Industrial Development Corporation 10%.

This deal was made possible by the department of rural development and land reform which assisted the farmworkers with finance to purchase their 50% stake.

The farmworkers had, through their leaders, approached Minister Nkwinti for assistance. When the Sun Orange Citrus farm 50/50 programme was launched there was jubilation and celebration in the Kirkwood community.

Sun Orange Citrus is one of the most successful citrus ventures in Sundays River Valley municipality. It markets its products locally and internationally.

The previous owner, James Hannah, told the enthusiastic crowd the farming business also worked to help develop communities in the surrounding areas through health clinics, assisting with education and agricultural development.

He said his company’s goals were to convert farmworkers into professionals.

Minister Nkwinti said the 50/50 programme was meant to strengthen the relative land rights of the farmworkers.

The Sun Citrus farm launch was a precursor to establishing an Agri-Park for the Sundays River Valley area now that the department is aware of the commodity produced in the area.

Nkwinti said another 34 farms were ready for the 50/50 programme while the land reform branch of his department was processing another 100 farms to join this programme.

The minister’s view is that farmers and farmworkers business partnerships are only successful when they are led by people with good hearts. “We must not hide beautiful things people do,” he said.

However, he warned the enthusiastic crowd that the implementation of the 50/50 programme was not plain sailing. Some farms were not doing well due to financial problems.

For the 50/50 programme farming businesses to succeed, there needed to be transparency and transformation of culture among the participants.

He also emphasised that the 50/50 farms were business ventures, not projects. Projects had a fixed period for them to run while the 50/50 farms were businesses that could last forever and be bequeathed to future generations.

Now that former farmworkers were owners they had to act more responsibly so that their farming businesses did not collapse. The minister urged the new owners to retain the former owners so they could mentor them until they were properly equipped in running a farming business and the markets had accepted them as businesspeople.

“The former farmworkers should be at work every day. They should respect each other and listen to one another.

“There must be disciplinary processes in the business. You must be an example and act responsibly,” Nkwinti said.

He emphasised that when a good work ethic coupled with responsible behaviour was the order of the day, the 50/50 farming business would not collapse.

During the proceedings, Nkwinti signed shareholding certificates which he handed to the 50 Sun Citrus farmworkers as proof of their coownership of the Sun Orange Citrus Farm business.

The former farmworkers said their dreams of being farmowners have now been realised. Nkwinti has always maintained that as minister responsible for land reform, it is up to him to come up with suitable ways of implementing land redistribution.

The Constitution enjoins the government with the task of implementing land reform to address the previous injustice of land dispossession and also skewed land ownership patterns. This entails effecting restorative justice through restitution of land rights to those indigenous people whose land was grabbed from them post1913 without compensation or being afforded legal respite.

The Sundays River Valley is a leader of transformation in the agriculture sector in the Eastern Cape. It is known for its production of oranges and other citrus.

The district has distinguished itself with quality farmers and excellent farm production. The 2014 Female Farmer of the Year was from Sundays River Valley and the 2015 winner of the Export Female Farmer of the Year also came from this municipality in the Sarah Baartman district.

The Sun Citrus 50/50 programme also received assistance from the IDC and the National Empowerment Fund which had helped with finance.

Mtobeli Mxotwa is a spokesman of the Ministry of Rural Development and Land Reform