Provincial Land Summit

The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs, Mrs Thoko Didiza in her budget vote speech to parliament outlined government's programme of action over the next three months. Central to these activities was the issue of access and use of agricultural land as well as the issue of land reform in general, all of which would culminate in the National Land Summit scheduled for 27 - 31 July 2005.

In preparation for this, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, the Department of Land Affairs, and the Regional Land Claims Commission are planning a Land Summit with relevant role players and stakeholders. Civil society, labour, business, government, beneficiaries and claimants have been invited.

The summit will be opened by Premier Ebrahim Rasool.

Date: 18 July 2005
Venue: Goudini Spa

The summit, along with government's programme of action will underpin the 50th celebrations of the Freedom Charter as well as focus on the review of access to agricultural land while encouraging dialogue among our key partners and stakeholders on the challenges and the way forward for successful Land Reform.

The needs and expectations of Business, Labour and Civil Society on the key issues of Land for Human Settlement; Land for Economic Development and Land for Sustainable Development will form the basis for discussion.

The impact and role of housing, local government, restitution, tenure needs and redistribution processes on land reform will form an integral part of the deliberations.

Land reform in this province still faces huge challenges amongst which are:

• Meeting the restitution date
• Meeting the target of delivering 30% of commercial owned agricultural land to black owners in the next ten years
• Tenure reform with specific reference to the tenure transformation programme in areas such as Mamre, Ebenhaezer, Genadendal, Rietpoort Slangrivier, Friemersheim and Zoar
• Availability of State owned land for Land Reform.

The provincial Land Summit must allow the people of the Western Cape to voice their concerns and issues regarding land reform in an orderly and coordinated manner. No one must feel excluded but participants must also be able to make a meaningful contribution. The outcome of the summit, about land reform, that will be presented to the National Land Summit needs to be a powerful but useful message from the expected 400 delegates

ENQUIRIES: ALIE VAN JAARSVELD 084 604 6701