Slow pace of land reform December 2008

I initially had a problem when asked to review this book, as I was concerned that it would be more political than factual, and what did it have to do with environmental justice? The back cover summarises the subject AThis book is published in the hope that the broader public will be informed about the slow cancer infecting commercial agriculture in South Africa, the decrease in food production which this loss precipitates, and the possibility that South Africa could go the same way as Zimbabwe. However the author does not claim to be writing a definitive history of who is ultimately entitled to what land in South Africa, but he has produced damning evidence that things are not going well with agriculture. He recounts case after case where land has been transferred to emerging farmers in a haphazard way, either willingly or unwillingly, and these hapless new farmers have been left to fend for themselves with no support from government, either financially, through training or through any sort of advice given through extension services. Typical scenarios may involve much celebration with speeches setting up these transfers as examples of the success of the land reform policy. As often as not it would seem that these schemes are set up to fail. In spite of Thabo Mbeki having regular meetings with organized agriculture, showing considerable understanding of the plight of farmers, little of the concern shown has filtered through to the ministers responsible, or to the people on the ground. South Africa is a low rainfall country, and the success of farmers in the past, who have fed the country with a surplus for export, has been achieved through good husbandry of the land, good stewardship of God's earth. This has not happened in a few years û successful farms take decades to develop, and expertise and experience is handed down through generations. When these farms are handed over to untrained communities whose tradition and experience is based on subsistence farming, God/s creation is quickly degraded. Subsistence farming only works where there is no population pressure. Farm land can never be a dumping ground for surplus populations on the theory of "poverty alleviation". The opposite tends to be the result, and this can only lead to a lose/lose situation. It is also clear that this is not a racial problem - 90% of whites placed on the land in similar circumstances would also fail. And there are many instances of successful black farmers, but in almost every case they have asked for, and received, advice and support from white neighbours. To quote from a report by a management team appointed by Thabo Mbeki, A"The human capacity is not up to scratch. Our assessment is that a change of behavioural patterns is lacking -.managers are not taking responsibility and are not displaying a strong sense of accountability". The government cannot resolve these problems piecemeal, there has to be a complete review of objectives and the way to get there. How can the Church help? As a Postscript: After I had completed this review I read a feature article on page 44 of the 24th October issue of Farmers Weekly. Lloyd Phillips reports that a partnership has been set up between the Landless People's Movement, representing land claimants in the Newcastle area, and the Agricultural District Union of Northern KZN, representing the commercial farmers of the region. This came about as a result of the intervention of Reverend Schalk Scott of the Dutch Reformed Church in Newcastle who found Christians on both sides of the divide, which had been created by misperceptions of each other. As a result of the groundbreaking first meeting both parties now understand that neither was responsible for the slow pace of land reform in the region, but that the government was clearly at the root of the problem. A document has now been issued jointly outlining their goals which are now to be pursued jointly. - Peter Spence

Slow pace of land reform

A review of Dr Philip du Toit's book "The Great South African Land Scandal"

Other Stories in this edition: