Agri-SA says Afriforum’s EWC list is irresponsible
Government has denied the legitimacy of list.
Agri-SA has called Afriforum’s list of farms targeted for expropriation without compensation (EWC) “irresponsible”.
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has also denied the legitimacy of the list, saying no such list exits. Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Afriforum, Ernest Roets, has stuck to his guns though, saying the list is definitely being circulated within the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and that it was obtained from a “confidential source”.
Read the initial article here: West Rand properties targeted by government for EWC
In a press statement that was released by Agri-SA yesterday, 13 August, they said, “Agri-SA questions the status and content of the leaked list of farms said to be earmarked for EWC. The list was published during the weekend and led to panic among landowners. This follows on an initial scare tactic by the ANC to target 139 farms for EWC.
“Agri-SA is in the process of establishing the legitimacy of the list of farms,” said Dan Kriek, President of Agri-SA. “It is irresponsible of AfriForum to publish such unconfirmed information, knowing it to be inflammatory.
“Fellow farmers have been exposed by the release of the list,” said Kriek
“Cursory background research showed that the list contained several inaccuracies which could easily have been verified before release. Upon investigation by Agri-SA’s affiliates, it came to light that the list contained farms that are joint ventures co-owned by black people. The list also contained incomplete information on title deed descriptions and with farm names appearing without stating the subdivisions of those farms. Agri-SA wishes to emphasise that expropriation can only happen for a legitimate purpose mandated by statute and that a lengthy process that complies with the requirements of just administrative action needs to be followed.”
“This means that expropriation cannot happen overnight and can only take place for reasons specified in a law of general application,” said Annelize Crosby, Agri-SA’s Head of the Centre of Excellence: Land.
“There are various prescribed steps that must be followed in expropriation. This includes a notice of intention to expropriate, valuation of the property and negotiations with the owners. As the Constitution has not been changed, the requirement for expropriation remains just and equitable compensation. Agri-SA will protect the interest of farmers in the courts,” Crosby concluded.
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