Looking at the land reform jam

Tuesday marked a year after the conclusion of the ANC’s 55th elective conference – and it’s pertinent to reflect on the resolutions made during that crucial event.

With 4 000 delegates, the conference focused on ambitious resolutions spanning social, economic and political spheres, with a particular emphasis on the challenges of land reform.

The ANC has historically faced criticism for a lacklustre track record in policy implementation.

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The 55th conference, however, laid out resolutions that hold significant implications for policy direction, constitutional matters and government oversight.

One key area of focus was land reform, an issue central to South Africa’s history and development. While strides have been made to return land to communities displaced by apartheid policies, the progress of the land reform programme has been slow.

According to the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights, a total of 82 976 land claims lodged before the cut-off date of 30 December, 1998 have been settled.

Despite this, there is growing discontent regarding the sluggish pace of land reform.

Various reports, including the High-Level Panel Report (Motlanthe report) and Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform, point to the key impediments of progress: lack of government capacity, corruption, elite bias, inadequate legislative frameworks, uncertainty in reform objectives, budget constraints, and insufficient post-settlement support.

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The ANC’s 55th elective conference acknowledged the need for policy interventions to accelerate land reform, emphasising the enactment of the Expropriation Act currently in an advanced legislative stage.

The Bill aims to align expropriation law with the constitution and to ensure that expropriation is not arbitrarily used and only used as a last resort.

However, this process must be concluded to provide certainty to the market. Another crucial resolution passed during the 55th elective conference was to enhance the operational capacity of the Land Bank to help the institution fulfil its mandate.

The Land Bank should be supported and adequately resourced.

The productivity of numerous medium- and large-scale farmers is being adversely affected by persistent power outages and the lack of support for these farms.

Recognising the pivotal role of uninterrupted and reliable energy supply in the agricultural sector, the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development has collaborated with the Land Bank to introduce a blended financing instrument.

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This initiative aims to assist farmers in securing access to alternative energy solutions to mitigate the impact of recurring electricity outages.

However, it is yet to be determined how many farmers will benefit from this fund. The energy crunch facing the country will be with us into the foreseeable future, therefore this fund is crucial for the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

Having worked with beneficiaries of land reform for over 10 years, the Vumelana Advisory Fund is of the view that there is an opportunity to improve the land reform programme and refine proposed resolutions for practical viability.

The challenges in land reform and making land productive in South Africa necessitate a holistic and coordinated approach.

Coordination and follow-through on these resolutions will enable progress in the land reform programme. It has been a year since these resolutions were made.

Now, implementing, monitoring and evaluating actions should take precedence.