South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has confirmed there will be no land grabs as the government implements its land reform policies, with all actions done within the rule of law and according to the country’s constitution.
Speaking to the farming community in Stellenbosch, the president tried to reassure growers and the farming community about the land reform process. He appealed to the farming community to work with the government to achieve fairness in the process.
In what is seen as a strong election message to try to improve the negative image of the governing party following recent corruption scandals involving the ANC and even cabinet members, Ramaphosa made a strong plea for unity in the country.
“We will pass an expropriation bill through parliament, which is very progressive and which will look at all options,' he said. 'We are waiting for the farming community to engage with the government in order to ensure that we all act in the best interests of the country.”
During his address the president stated that unlike other countries in Europe and even Australia, South African growers and exporters of wine and fruit get almost no support to help promote their products internationally. “In my role as president and during my international engagements I would like to take these sectors with me so we can promote their business,” he added.
Ramaphosa also referred to South Africa having recently joined the African free-trade zone. “We must ensure that our products are taken into Africa and that African products are on the shelves of African stores before they are imported from elsewhere.”
The president has obviously noted that South African fruit growers have made major strides in empowering their workers as he referred to many cases of successful empowerment in the industry. “I regularly speak to a leading export farmer in the Orange River and I know what he is doing,” he pointed out.
The reference to a major female empowerment project in the Orange River refers directly to table grape grower Piet Karsten, who has started a joint project with 60 women to grow table grapes on 450 hectares of land. “My friend assures me that he is at peace with the processes he is engaged in and his business is expanding, not only for himself and his workers, but also for his children.”
Karsten’s project with the women is called NewGrow, and more than 200 hectares of grapes are already in production, with the project due to break even soon and dividends starting to flow to the shareholders.
