Annual Performance Plan briefing of Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Meeting report

The meeting was not listed on the z-list and PMG was not present. The below is compiled based on the Committee’s official minutes

The Chairperson opened the session at 10h00, noting apologies and proceeded to outline the agenda for the day which was the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Annual Performance Plan (APP) and budget. The Department was asked to commence with the presentation immediately.

Briefing by the Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) on their APP and Budget Vote No 29

The Committee thanked the Department for the presentation, proceeding with questions relating to the Department’s audit outcomes, land and supply chain management, land claims settlement budget, what the Department's short and medium term policy developments will focus on, addressing challenges faced by CPA’s and addressing communal land and tenure security.

The Department responded, stating that the budget allocation for the land claims settlement and land acquisition programme currently stood at R3.6 billion for the current financial year. It is the largest allocation in the overall budget of the Department. In response to questions pertaining to CPA the Department agreed with the Committee that the current situation is less than ideal as not all CPAs are functioning as they should be. The Department explained that CPAs were being assisted with issues such as conflict resolution and mediation, management of assets, compliance with legislation governing CPAs. At present, the Department is conducting an audit of all CPA’s to assess the situation and determine how best to deal with the matter of non-functioning CPAs and their harmonisation.

The Department requested not to provide too many detailed responses regarding the consultations that are ongoing on the matter of land and tenure security, and land re-distribution. The outcomes of these discussions are still developing, and will be presented at the upcoming Land Summit. The Acting DG proposed that he would be in a better position to elaborate on the Department’s position on land administration and ownership in communal areas after the Land Summit is concluded. New legislation and or policies will emanate from these deliberations as well. The committee was also informed that land invasions remained a huge problem and concern usually ending up in costly litigation for land owners, advising that land invasions should be reported immediately otherwise the invaders acquire certain rights if left to stay.

Questions were further asked pertaining to extension officers, filling the Department’s vacancies, animal disease outbreaks, and containing the current locust plague.

The Department’s response was that the current extension officer situation was less than ideal with one intention officer for every 1 200 farmers. The Department stated that it currently has approximately 2 900 extension officers and that the Department intends to recruit another 10 000. The Committee was informed that the Department has recently completed the merger of the two previous departments into one and has been given the approval by treasury to start filling critical posts. The Committee was also assured that the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease was under control, while government has thus far pledged R80 million to help fight the locust plague, which was difficult to control as a result of the wet weather across the country. The Acting DG agreed with the Chairperson that people trained under the NARYSEC program were mostly sitting idle and that the department has taken a new approach to the programme which is no longer training people to be employed on farms but rather training them to become entrepreneurs / self-employed.   

Consideration and Adoption of minutes

22 March 2022

The adoption of the minutes did not take place as the Committee was not quorate at the time.    

Resolutions

The Committee resolved that:

-the Committee be briefed on the outcomes of the Land Summit;

-the Committee be briefed on the outcomes of the audit of the CPAs and provided with a copy of the report.

The Chairperson also thanked everyone for their attendance, adjourning the meeting at 12h42.