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As part of the government's outreach programme Agriculture and Land Affairs MEC Max Mamase held a meeting with the farming community of Fairholdt just outside Bedford today.

Ranges of complaints were raised, including unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment. Explaining some government policies meant to improve the lot of the poor and rural communities, MEC Mamase said with the new demarcations of local government, rural communities were integrated with urban areas in order to eliminate development disparities. He said there were no more dividing lines between rural and urban people as rural communities were part of local municipal areas.

MEC Mamase also said that local municipalities were responsible for applying for funds from the National Department of Land Affairs to buy commonage land so that the landless people in rural areas. He indicated that local and district municipal councillors were aware of the process and were busy drawing up their commonage management plans.

He explained to the farmer workers at Fairholdt farm about the labour tenant programme, which was part of the implementation of the Extension of Land Tenure Act that protects labour tenants and promotes their access to land. Through this programme the government bought land using the land acquisition grants for labour tenants, using 23% of it for infrastructural development on the land. He went on also explained the concept of equity scheme and the mentorship programme whereby the government gave funds to tenants to enter into partnership scheme with the farm owner. This helped in ensuring the acquisition of requisite skills, expertise and experience in agricultural production, as they share most profit from the frame of produce on the pro-rata bases.

He appealed to the communities and those interested in buying farmland to submit their applications through the local council, who would help them process the application. After such request departmental officials would intervene and assist with the commissioning of a technical team to do the feasibility and viability studies, after which would submit the application to the Executive for the final approval.

Contact: Mike Ngwane at 083-6598435

Issued by Agriculture, Eastern Cape

13 August 2001