Deputy Speaker, 19 June 2013 will rightly be commemorated as a key point in the dismal story of the dispossession of the land of the black population of South Africa.
During the 19th century, British domination was extended throughout the region. In 1871, Britain annexed the diamond fields of the Northern Cape. By 1887, it had incorporated Zululand. By 1894, it had completed the annexation of the Transkei. Finally, in 1900, during the Anglo-Boer War, the two republics of the Transvaal and the Republic of the Orange Free State were annexed. What was the intention? It was to set up a union or federation, as they had successfully done with colonies in Canada and Australia. In 1908, they convened a national convention, and in 1910 the Union of South Africa was born. Whether or not it was conceived in sin, the new country signalled the birth of South Africa as we know it today.
The Natives Land Act was the culmination of more than a century of dispossession. It left black South Africans with little more than 8% of the surface of the country. In 1936, additional land was allocated to black South Africans, but still it comprised only 13,7%. It is little wonder therefore that the 1913 Act remains such an emotional issue that it can be seen as the original formalisation of racial segregation in South Africa long before the nationalists institutionalised apartheid in 1948.
It was in common recognition of these past injustices of a hundred years ago that all the parties that negotiated our new Constitution accepted the need for genuine redress of the land question. In particular, they agreed that there should be a process of restitution. According to section 25(7) -
... a person or community dispossessed of property after 19 June 1913 as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices is entitled, to the extent provided by an Act of Parliament, either to restitution of the property or to equitable redress.
Secondly, there would be a process of land reform. It was agreed that land could be expropriated in the public interest, and that the public interest included "the nation's commitment to land reform". The Constitution also requires that expropriation must be just and equitable, reflecting an equitable balance between the public interest and the interest of those affected. For whatever reason, thus far progress with land reform has been disappointing. The challenge for all South Africans on the centenary of the 1913 Natives Land Act is to work together for a land reform process that takes into account and redresses the bitter history of dispossession, but it must be fair and equitable to all those affected, remaining within the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
While land is and remains a highly emotive and fundamental issue in the national discourse, we may not overlook the sad reality that owning land does not equal instant wealth, nor does it turn the new owners into commercial farmers, especially where they have no skills or resources. This was true when early white settlers were given land to produce food for passing ships. Many failed dismally and went bankrupt, because they lacked the basic skills and resources to eke out a living whilst producing at cut- rate prices for the then mighty Dutch East India Company.
It remains true today in the case of beneficiaries of land reform and restitution in recent years. Unfortunately, there are too many examples of failed farming enterprises and disillusioned people. In some cases, it can be attributed to a lack of resources, skills and mentoring. In others inflated expectations of how many people can make a living out of certain areas of land or projects. Yes, there is something seriously wrong with the land redistribution and restitution process. Many land reform projects are collapsing. A total of 852 farms are distressed and unproductive. The department has been forced to introduce recapitalisation and development programmes to help failing land reform projects to become viable. There are numerous programmes that have been implemented to support emerging farmers. Despite this, farms like the Bouwland Estate in the Western Cape, which consists of 56 hectares was supposed to support 60 beneficiaries, currently has zero production and is on the market for sale.
Likewise, the 52 beneficiaries of the Winola Park Trust in Worcester are back to square one, with the farm having gone bankrupt. I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]