Saai: Policy for Beneficiary Selection and Land Allocation is premature- South Africa-

Saai – an organisation that protects the interests of family farmers – submitted commentary on the draft National Policy for Beneficiary Selection and Land Allocation (NPBSLA), which closed on 2 March 2020.

The draft policy was published on 3 January 2020, while the proposed amendments to Section 25 of the Constitution are still open for public comment.

 This policy aims to determine who qualifies as beneficiaries of land redistribution. Interestingly, the policy specifically caters for possible land redistribution to spouses of public servants, municipalities and property developers. Land to be allocated includes land repossessed by banks as well as land acquired on the open market. However, the policy remains silent on what compensation (if any) will be paid for land that is acquired on the open market.

The land allocation will be facilitated by a so-called national as well as provincial land allocation and selection panels. Disputes over land allocation will not be subject to independent settlement but would rather be settled by the Director General and the Minister.

 “The policy appears to pre-empt the land redistribution debate that currently rages in South Africa, as it seems to be based on the assumption that the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution is a foregone conclusion,” says Francois Rossouw, CEO of Saai.

Saai’s submission on the draft policy is based on three main concerns:

1. The NPBSLA does not explicitly identify the minister’s authority to publish the NPBSLA;
2. The NPBSLA is arbitrary as it does not include food security as a policy objective; and
3. The NPBSLA is irrational because the policies set out in the NPBSLA cannot reasonably achieve the policy objectives stated in the NPBSLA.   

Saai: Grondbevoordeeldebeleid loop grondverdelingsdebat vooruit

Saai – ’n organisasie wat die belange van familieboere beskerm – het kommentaar ingedien op die konsep van die nasionale beleid vir die keuring van bevoordeeldes en grondtoekenning (NBKBG), wat op 2 Maart 2020 gesluit het. Dié beleidskonsep is op 3 Januarie 2020 gepubliseer, terwyl die voorgestelde wysigings aan Artikel 25 van die Grondwet steeds oop is vir openbare kommentaar.

Dié beleid poog om te bepaal wie as bevoordeeldes vir grondverdeling kwalifiseer. Dit is interessant dat die beleid spesifiek voorsiening maak vir moontlike grondverdeling aan eggenote van staatsamptenare, munisipaliteite en eiendomsontwikkelaars. Grond wat toegeken word, sluit grond in wat deur banke teruggeneem is, asook grond wat in die oop mark bekom is. Die beleid swyg egter oor watter vergoeding (indien enige) betaal sal word vir grond wat in die oop mark bekom is.

 Grondtoewysing sal deur ’n sogenaamde nasionale, asook provinsiale grondtoekenning-en-keuringspanele behartig word. Dispute oor grondtoekenning sal nie aan onafhanklike beslegting onderworpe wees nie, maar deur die direkteur-generaal en die minister besleg word.

“Dit blyk dat die beleid die grondverdelingsdebat wat tans in Suid-Afrika woed vooruit loop, omdat dit op die aanname gebaseer is dat die wysiging van Artikel 25 van die Grondwet ’n uitgemaakte saak is,” sê Francois Rossouw, uitvoerende hoof van Saai.

Saai se voorlegging is gebaseer op die volgende drie kommerpunte:

1. Die NBKBG identifiseer nie uitdruklik die minister se bevoegdheid om die NBKBG te publiseer nie;
2. Die NBKBG stel nie voedselsekerheid as beleidsdoelwit nie en is dus arbitrêr; en
3. Die NBKBG is irrasioneel omdat die beleid wat daarin uiteengesit is nie redelikerwys die beleidsdoelwitte kan bereik wat in die NBKBG uiteengesit is nie.

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