Deputy Speaker, Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr President, Mr Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon members, in his book entitled, The Native Life in South Africa, Sol Plaatje relates a brief story of a certain A P van der Merwe from my hometown of Vredefort, who was a Member of Parliament in 1913. This man, A P van der Merwe, supported the rushing in of laws which dispossessed many black people of their land, simply because the people of Mokwallo, Vredefort were fighting and resisting these unjust laws. It is therefore an historical
coincidence that I am part of a generation of parliamentarians who are going to preside over the undoing of that horrible legacy.
The people of Mokwallo, Vredefort and many other small towns and villages have actually voted in favour of reclaiming what Mzwakhe Mbuli calls "the land bought, the land never sold, the land sold, the land never bought."
It was Dr Xuma, in 1941, who also articulated the pursuance of the struggle against land dispossession. He asserted:
From land we derive our existence. We derive our wealth in minerals, food and other essentials. [...] Without land, we cannot exist.
In his speech, he explained in detail the debilitating effects brought about by the Native Land Act of 1913. Accordingly, he responded to the challenges of that period and what the future would hold if the draconian laws were not challenged.
Dr Xuma called for the rights of Africans to acquire freehold title to the land everywhere in South Africa. His clarion call - that the Land Bank needed to ensure that African farmers are supported in their quest to make the land productive - remains relevant today.
Mr President, your statement that R3,9 billion would be availed to the black commercial farmers through the Land Bank demonstrates consistency in our struggle endeavour to make the land productive. We are indeed on the cusp of achieving the dream espoused by our forebears for decades and centuries. Xuma and Plaatje, in their articulation, dissected what was the challenge we were facing then and continue to face today in respect of land dispossession.
Your statement reminds us once again that we need to do as this generation and in this Parliament to finally conclude the amendment of section 21 of the Constitution, in order to make explicit what is implicit - the power of the state to expropriate land in the public interest to redress the imbalances of the past.
It is us as legislators who must execute this task.
As the ANC in this Parliament, we request that you revive the Ad Hoc Committee on the Amendment of the Constitution. The grinding work of aligning legislation, policy and programmes should unleash a skills revolution and turn the tide of ... [Inaudible.] ... redistribution and restitution in favour of the previously dispossessed.
It is our firm view that land reform remains an important process that we as a country must undertake. It is our collective task as a society.
Mr President, we believe you take this matter of land seriously. Your own efforts in appointing a presidential advisory panel on land reform and agriculture to look into the impediments that exist and have thus far given you a report, already affirms your resolve.
We must never give a hearing to the big lies that, as the ANC, we have reneged on our resolutions. We know for a fact that the
most dangerous disease is that of self-induced untruths to create an artificial debate. We must never give a hearing to those kinds of debate. [Applause.]
Indeed, Mr President, to achieve our objective of land, we need strong institutions of state. We need capable public servants who are responsive to the cries of our people. We need to strengthen the land administration. We need a functional land claims court to quicken the resolution of land and land question. Alignment between departments is critical in order to support those who have become beneficiaries of land reform.
WE agree with you, Mr President, that land has a broader function beyond agriculture. It is for this reason that we support the release of public land for human settlement and industrial development. We call upon municipalities, provincial governments and state entities to make land available as per your injunction.
The alignment of policies and programmes will ensure that categorisation of support in land and agrarian reform has the
agility to benefit the small farmer and transfer the required skills.
We will tap into the experience acquired from the era of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programmes, Casp, Communal Property Associations, and the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, to the era of the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, PLAS. As we extract the tough lessons from this era of implementation, there will be an improved clarity as to who is targeted by this radical policy injunction.
We must continue to embrace farming models that have an impact on local economies and improve livelihoods, especially with regard to rural development. The agripark networks are progressive programmes because they enable market-driven combination and integration of various agricultural activities as rural transformation services.
Government has undertaken a comprehensive approach to land reform because it is also anchored on improving the productive capacity of our producers for both local consumption and export
markets. Our imports of agricultural products have increased by 7% during 2018. Hence, we need to respond in a manner that improves our food security and expands the markets.
Accordingly, Mr President, you spoke about substantially expanding the agricultural and agro-processing sectors by supporting key value chains and products, and reducing our reliance on agricultural imports. In this context, private investment also remains part of the equation in land reform.
Access to markets is the biggest challenge faced by black emerging small- scale farmers who are trying to graduate to becoming full commercial farmers. In this context, again, the importance of the state to engage in this programme of expanding support to key value chains and products within the agricultural sector cannot be over-emphasised. In addition, efforts to resolve electricity issues will directly have a positive impact on farmers.
We will be meticulous in passing legislation that will limit the subdivision of agricultural land so that food security is not threatened.
Mr President, you asserted that, in the immediate period, land will be identified and released for smart settlement and farming. In addition to this commitment, the force multiplier for food security is that of releasing spacious land in urban areas so that some portions can be made available for small- scale farming. We need to demystify the notion that our people have a scant relationship with land and therefore know nothing about its value and worth. The 2017 Land Audit Report confirms the patriarchal distribution of individual land ownership.
As we execute these radical reforms, marginalisation of women will be stopped in its tracks. The social reality is that African women are generally tillers of the land. Therefore, their participation is more than just a mere force multiplier in support of food security.
In addition, reviewing the current racial profile of individual land ownership is also a significant part of this radical land reform.
The recently held summit on women and youth in land reform during 2018, expanded on the challenges faced by rural women in advancing rural and agrarian reform. Some of these challenges are: lack of security to land, lack of education and skills for most rural women farmers. Accordingly, these women and youth also made certain recommendations to remedy these historical injustices.
I have heard Mr Groenewald inviting people to a funeral of a farmer. In African culture, we don't invite people to a funeral. But, I appeal to your conscience to attend at least a funeral of an exploited farm worker. At least that experience will make your experience a little bit much more better. [Aplause.]
The skills revolution in the land reform and agriculture will respond to the effects of climate change and attract a second generation of farmers.
The introduction of technology under the auspices of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will facilitate and energise the participation of the youth in this agrarian reform.
The call to reduce the cost of data is very progressive and in line with economic development. This will create more opportunities for youth in a technologically intensive world.
Currently, in the agricultural sector, some of our farmers have adopted these technological innovations to boost their agricultural output.
Mr President, fellow South Africans, in the 1950s, a dark cloud hung over the South African people. The Communist Party of SA was banned. More than 8 000 people were arrested during the defiance campaign. Many leaders of the congress movement were served with banning orders and placed under house arrest. In fact, on the day the Freedom Charter was conceived, the Special Branch and the police were harassing participants and delegates at Kliptown. However, in the context of these intimidations, harassment and imprisonments, the South African dream was
conceived - the Freedom Charter - this vision that would usher in a united, nonracial, democratic South Africa and deliver the land.
Mr President, by challenging us to dream in the midst of economic crises, in the midst of climate change that destroyed land and thus threatened our livelihood, you have tapped into the tried and tested wisdom of the true South African leaders. Therefore, no amount of ridicule will distract us because we are shaping the future and growing South Africa.
We are inspired by the unrelenting spirit of Vuyisile Minyi, who struck the debilitating blow at the Verwoerdian ideologies in the dark cell of death. We are inspired by the June 16 generation whose love for their country was demonstrated by the bravery of many young people, including and epitomised by the sacrifice of Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu. Thank you. [Applause.]