Submit your commentary before 2 March 2020!

On 3 January 2020 – while the proposed amendments to Section 25 of the Constitution are still open for public comment – the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development published the draft National Policy for Beneficiary Selection and Land Allocation for comment.

This policy aims to identify who should qualify 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 include land repossessed by banks as well as land acquired on the open market. However, the policy is 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 so-called national and provincial land allocation and selection panels. Disputes over land allocation will not be subject to independent settlement, but rather by the Director General and the Minister.

The policy appears to pre-empt the land redistribution debate that is currently taking place in South Africa as it seems to be premised on the assumption that the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution is a foregone conclusion.

See the proposed policy here: National Policy for Beneficiary Selection and Land Allocation

Saai has already submitted our commentary and request that you submit your concerns via the form below. Please take notice that your commentary will be sent to Director-General: Rural Development and Land Reform, Mr Barry Levinrad.

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