President to hand over land, title deeds to farmers

Eddie Oosthuizen via Wikimedia Commons

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Presidency said the handover ceremony is the culmination of a land reform process.

The ceremony, which takes place on Saturday, will see 30 black farmers being presented with title deeds.

"The farmers have been successfully farming various agricultural produce for 25 years on this land, and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has transferred the land on a gratis basis for land redistribution purposes," the Presidency said.

In 2000, the then national Department of Agriculture entered into lease agreements with the Tafelkop Farmers' Association, in terms of the Land Redistribution, through the Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme.

"In 2009, the former Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA) recommended to the Department of Public Works (as the custodian of the land) that the land be transferred to the farmers, who had been in occupation since 1996.

"The deeds were registered earlier in 2021 in the names of the farmers who will emerge as beneficiaries at this coming weekend’s ceremony," the Presidency said.

These farmers supply local food stores, school feeding schemes, as well the Pretoria and Johannesburg fresh produce markets.

The extent of the land now officially registered in the name of the farmers measures 189 hectares and is valued at more than R25.5m

"This award is part of the ongoing work of the Land Reform Inter-Ministerial Committee to accelerate land reform by mobilising State resources to increase the efficiency and sustainability of land redistribution and restitution," the Presidency said.

The President will be supported by Ministers Patricia De Lille of Public Works and Infrastructure; Thoko Didiza of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ronald Lamola of Justice and Correctional Services, and Khumbudzo Ntshaveni, Acting Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.