Parliament, Friday, 13 September 2019 – The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development received briefings from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on the One Household, One Hectare Programme, Recapitalisation and Development Programme, Land Development Support Programme and Landcare Programme.
The Chairperson of the committee, Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, enquired from the department on what the policy outcomes of the One Household, One Hectare Programme which commenced in 2016, is towards tenure security.
“Tenure security is a very serious matter that impacts on the lives of the most vulnerable and therefore we must at all times consider it in whatever interventions we make,” he said.
Further, the selection criteria of the 7 788 beneficiaries across the country is also not clear. On the recent oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal, the committee found that the funds which were meant for the One Household, One Hectare Programme for Westwood Farm beneficiaries who received 245 hectares, were allocated in the Recapitalisation and Development Programme. The department responded that there is no policy on the selection of the beneficiaries and will investigate the funding allocation of Westwood Farm and report back to the committee.
“The absence of no selection criteria is a great travesty that leaves the process open to abuse and malpractice. We must ensure that all such programmes stand up to the criteria of due process, transparency and accountability,” he said.
Another concern for the committee is the assistance provided to farmers requiring funding from the Land Bank. The department had referred 18 farms to the Land Bank, which is a development funding institution. However, none of the farms passed the credit rating criteria. This needs to be looked at, as farmers require access to funding and the department must report back to the committee.
One of the instruments that perpetuate inequality is lack of access to funding. This is a matter that must be addressed with all urgency.
The committee has directed both departments that whilst they are merging, they must consider all the farmer support programmes and consolidate them into one, so that double dipping does not take place, and support programmes are streamlined across the country.
“We appeal to them to address all these issues with the greatest of urgency. We cannot allow inefficiency and inadequacy to negatively impact the delivery of critical interventions to our people,” he said.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, INKOSI ZWELIVELILE MANDELA.
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E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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