While President Cyril Ramaphosa has in the past praised agriculture as one of the economy’s best-performing sectors, his still-unkept promises to Mzansi’s farming community are starting to rub up farmers the wrong way.
Since his unopposed appointment as President of South Africa on 22 May 2019, Ramaphosa has made daring promises to his fellow countrymen.
In 2021, the president announced in his State of the Nation Address (Sona), that government would establish a land and agrarian reform agency in 2022 to fast-track land reform.
A land and agrarian reform agency?
At the time, Ramaphosa acknowledged that land reform in Mzansi was an urgent matter that would ensure small-scale farmers, mainly black farmers, enjoy access to land to produce food.
Ramaphosa told South Africans during his 2022 Sona speech that the reform agency would be finalised that same year. It has been two years since his first announcement, and the land and agrarian reform agency is yet to be established.
Chief agricultural economist at Agbiz, Wandile Sihlobo, reassured Food For Mzansi that plans for the agency’s launch are well on course.
“It will indeed be launched this year. Minister Didiza and her team have nearly completed it. The President omitted it in his Sona since he has given the instruction on it. I imagine he will speak on it after its launch,” Sihlobo said.
Another layer of red tape?
Meanwhile, farmers have called for fair representation and unnecessary red tape to be removed.
Saamtrek Saamwerk chairperson, Sehularo Sehularo, said clarity is needed on how the reformed agency will work.
“I think it will be more important to get an understanding on what will be the mandate of the reform agency. We do want to see land reform taking place in our country, however, we must not add another layer of red tape on the same issue” Sehularo pointed out.
Fair representation needed
Grain farmer in the Free State Pheladi Matsole said the process required inclusiveness as to ensure the agency reaches its core goals.
“[The] land reform agency can only reach its mandate if it can work with stakeholders like farmers, unions, [and] organised agriculture in different provinces,” Matsole said.
“I do not think this agency will be able to function without unions. Yes, it is imperative that such an institution be instituted, however, we need a fair representative on it.”
An article written for Wits University by Johann Kristen and Sihlobo said the ideal plan for the agency is to coordinate all structures for a better land reform realisation.
“The agency would ideally bring about national coordination, reduce red tape, and become a one-stop shop for issues related to a decentralised redistribution of agricultural land. This would not require additional fiscal outlays.
“It would, instead, use existing sources of material and other forms of support from the commercial agricultural sector,” the article stated.
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Another broken promise
In his latest Sona speech, Ramaphosa told the nation that the government announced its comprehensive turnaround plan to streamline the process for water use license applications.
The new turnaround time from the previous 300 days is part of the government’s strategy to enhance the delivery of economic reforms through Operation Vulindlela, which is aimed at fast-tracking service delivery across various sectors of society.
“We have cleared the backlog of water use licenses and reduced the turnaround time for applications to 90 days,” Ramaphosa said.
The same declaration was first made in his 2020 Sona. At the time, Ramaphosa said water use licenses should be finalised within 90 days, with effect from 01 April 2020.
The same announcement was featured in Ramaphosa’s 2023 Sona speech. This time, he said, “In the water sector, we are working through Operation Vulindlela to ensure that water license applications are finalised within the revised timeframe of 90 days.
“100% target set has not been achieved.”
On several occasions the department of water and sanitation said it was working tirelessly to revise water use licensing regulations in order to finalise the process within the new turnaround time of 90 days as declared by the President.
Still a way to go
In July 2022, the department’s deputy director-general responsible for compliance, monitoring and evaluation, Xolani Zwane said the department finalised 613 out of the 971 water-use licence applications, which represents a partial achievement of 63%.
This was achieved during the 2021-2022 financial year, between April 2021 and March 2022.
“In quarter 1 of the current financial year (April to June 2022), the department overachieved by finalising 150 applications of the targeted 113 and as such, work has commenced on the targeted applications for Quarter 2 (July to September). Thus far, 37 applications out of a targeted 252 are already finalised,” Zwane said.
He said that concerted efforts, which were put in place to clear backlogs by 30 June 2022, have been successful, while also admitting that the 100% target set has not been achieved.
In the meantime, It will be a matter of wait and see if Ramaphosa’s latest 90-day promise holds.
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