Only 170 black farm owners in NC

THERE are only 170 black agricultural landowners in the Northern Cape, with whites owning 77% of the Province’s agricultural land.

According to the recent Land Audit report, the Northern Cape has a total of 32 million hectares of land – making it the largest landmass in the country – but has the least number of private landowners at 204 831, of which 195 052 are individuals (as opposed to companies, trusts and CBOs). There are a total of 6.47 million landowners in the country.

Farms and agricultural holdings take up 15 million hectares in the Province, of which 77% (namely 11.5 million hectares) is owned by whites. Africans own only 1% (69 350 hectares) of farm land in the Northern Cape, while coloureds own 15% (2.2 million hectares), Indians own 5% (746 820 hectares) and 3% (414 065 hectares) is owned by “other”.

There is a total of 5 247 white agricultural landowners in the Northern Cape, 170 black landowners, 1 175 coloured landowners and 404 Indian agricultural landowners.

Nationally 181 532 individuals own all farms and holdings in the country. A total of 95 673 or 53% are white, 40 494 or 22% are Africans, 22 127 or 12% are coloureds and 15 601 or 9% are Indians.

KZN has the highest number of total African landowners, while Gauteng has the highest number of white landowners.

Most of the agricultural land in the Northern Cape is owned by men (63% or 4 536 individuals), with only 32% (2 318) being women. Men own 11 million hectares of agricultural land in the Province, while women own just over 1.8 million hectares and 1.7 million hectares are male-female owned.

Foreign nationals own 2% (294 779 hectares) of the Province’s agricultural land with a total of 253 foreign nationals owning land in the Province.

In a statement issued last week, the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, pointed out that the Land Audit report showed that black South Africans owned only 4% of land in the country, a situation, she added, that could not be left unresolved.

“I have noted the media discussions and speculation concerning Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Maite NkoanaMashabane.

the recent motion passed by Parliament to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation pursuant to the resolution of the ruling party. The resolution established a Constitutional Review Committee to consider all aspects of expropriation without compensation, including the legal and economic aspects thereof. The resolution of Parliament thus sets forth a process and the Constitutional Review Committee must report back to Parliament by August 30 2018,” Nokoana-Mashabane said.

She reiterated the assurance given by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the 2018 State of the Nation Address that “the expropriation of land without compensation will be done in a manner that ensures food security, increases agricultural production and improves economic growth”.

“The Land Audit report on private land ownership by race, gender and nationality, released by the department earlier this year, reveals that black South Africans own only 4% of the land in this country. This is a direct result of the historical injustices that resulted in skewed land ownership patterns along racial lines; hence this matter cannot be left unresolved.”

Nokaona-Mashabane said her department would meanwhile strive to accelerate land reform within the current policies and legislation whilst the Parliamentary processes were being finalised.

“The department has over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework been allocated by the National Treasury a sum of R10.8 billion to accelerate settlement of the 2 581 restitution claims and R4.2 billion to acquire 291 000 hectares of strategically located land,” she said.

The minister urged all South Africans, investors and the international community to exercise patience and trust the capabilities of Parliament to handle this matter appropriately in the interest of all South Africans and all who live in South Africa.

“The department is constitutionally enjoined to change the skewed land-ownership patterns while maintaining economic growth, food security, increased agricultural productions which are priorities for the government and this department.

“We shall, in this regard, continue to follow political undertakings and make necessary input into parliamentary processes to address land dispossession, rural development and food security.”