NERPO SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSAL TO INSTITUTE A MORATORIUM ON PURCHASE OF STATE LAND
18 Oct 2007
The National Emergent Red Meat Producers Organisation (NERPO) has welcomed government’s proposal that was tabled before parliament yesterday calling on parliament to institute a moratorium on purchase of state land by foreigners and individuals who do not fall within the bracket of race and gender that is not targeted by land reform policies and legislation. “This move by government is long overdue, we have since 1999 called on government to regulate foreign ownership of land, so as to give room to a speedy and effective land redistribution programme”. said Aggrey Mahanjana, Group Managing Director of NERPO
“Government cannot expect to achieve the 30% transfer of land to black and emerging farmers, if its policies still have gaps to be abused by foreigners and white commercial farmers, we need to tighten the legislation and focus on redress of the imbalances of the past”. NERPO has been lobbying government on various policy reforms to expedite land redistribution as it is key to a meaningful participation of its 48 000 members who have been victims of snail pace land redistribution programme.
Among the key issues NERPO has raised with government is the regulation of what seems to be the “ridiculous” pricing of land, the gap that exist between the production value and market related value of the agricultural land, something that hinders the speed and access to productive agricultural land by the emerging sector.
NERPO is a mouthpiece of South Africa’s emerging livestock farmers and sought to create successful commercial farmers out of its predominantly black and emerging livestock farmers. NERPO has is celebrating 10 years of its existence this year. .
Further Enquiries
Aggrey Mahanjana
Group Managing Director
Tel: 012 3619127
Cell: 082 556 7297
E-mail: aggreym@nerpo.org.za, Website: www.nerpo.org.za
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