Madam Speaker and Deputy Speaker,

Honourable Premier,

Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee and Honourable Members,

Director General,

Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Comrades and Friends

Today, 95 years ago the Union of South Africa was formed, laying the foundation for apartheid South Africa. The economic strategy of the Afrikaner within the Union was straight forward. The most important source of funds for Afrikaner nationalism came from Afrikaner farmers. Immediately after the formation of the Union, the concentration of agricultural capital was characterised by the rapid development of the Agricultural Cooperative Movement.

The 1913 Natives Land Act was a major part of the plan that disempowered indigenous South Africans by robbing them of their birthright to land.

Today, during the year of the popular mobilisation to advance the vision of the Freedom Charter, the restoration of the economic heritage of Africans in particular and Black people in general remains the thrust of all our programmes. Black Economic Empowerment is but one of a range of interventions designed to transform our society away from the past.

Madam Speaker and honourable members, in his speech to the National Assembly in February this year, President Thabo Mbeki said that the firm foundation that was laid during the first ten years of freedom must help us to take detailed practical steps to achieve better results today and tomorrow than we did yesterday. He further indicated that during each one of the years that make up our second decade of liberation, we must achieve new and decisive advances towards among others:

Transforming our country into a genuinely non-racial society;

Transforming our country into a genuinely non-sexist society and

Eradicating poverty and underdevelopment within a context of a striving and growing first economy and the successful transformation of the second economy.

It is along these lines Madam Speaker, that the 2005/2006 budget allocation for Vote 12 will be utilised. For the current fiscal year, the allocation is R116, 125 million. This represents an overall increase of 4% as compared to the allocation for the 2004/2005 financial year. The allocation will be utilised as follows:

An amount of R28,794 million has been allocated for Programme 1; Administration.

Sustainable Resource Management will receive an amount of R10,323 million. This programme will provide agricultural support services to farmers in order to ensure that there is sustainable management of agricultural resources. This total allocation includes conditional grant funding of R2 million for Land Care.

The sum total of R44,007 million will be spent on Farmer Support and Development. This programme will provide extension and training to farmers with special emphasis on developing emerging farmers, implementation of the land reform programme and agricultural rural development projects. R17,948 million of this allocation is earmarked for the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, R3,172 million for provincial infrastructure development and R3,5 million for Food Security Projects.

Veterinary Services will receive an amount of R16,830 million. This programme will provide veterinary services that promote sustainable economic growth through exports and imports and, ensures the health and welfare of people and animals in the Northern Cape.

Technical Research and Development Services will benefit by R13,278 million. This programme will render an agricultural research service and development of information systems with regard to crop production technology, animal production technology and resource utilisation technology.

R2,090 million has been allocated to Agricultural Economics. This programme provides economic support to internal and external clients with regard to marketing, statistical information including financial feasibility and economic viability studies.

Madam Speaker, the imperative for more efficient and effective service delivery is a challenge, which the Department has embraced. The budget allocated according to the mentioned programmes will allow us to implement our commitments as stated in the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and more specifically the sector plan.

Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (NCPGDS)

In response to the imperative and objectives of the PGDS, the department has started to develop customised sector specific strategies and has so far worked closely with sector partners in developing commodity specific action plans in accordance with both the Sector Plan and PGDS objectives for growth and equity in these industries.

Madam Speaker, allow me then to go into some details about our commitments in the PGDS and Sector Plan as outlined in our strategic plan over the MTEF period.

Enhancing equitable access and participation

Land reform

This programme, Madam Speaker, is recognised as the major driver of socio-economic development in South Africa and it provides the poor and disadvantaged with an opportunity to acquire land as an important asset. Within the Northern Cape, land reform is regarded as a mechanism by which the development of land provides an improved quality of life to all the residents of the Province, and therefore, it is necessary that it becomes integrated and an essential part of the overall Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.

To this end

To guarantee that land reform remains a key programme within the growth and development strategy of the Northern Cape Province, the Land Reform Co-ordinating Committee (LRCC) was revived to provide a structure through which all land reform projects can be channelled to enable co-ordination and effective implementation especially with regards to the settlement of rural restitution cases.

As part of the Province’s contribution to fast track the settlement of the outstanding restitution claims, 5 interns were seconded by the Department to the Regional Land Claims Commission (RLCC) to assist in this regard

A total of 2 744 restitution claims were lodged by 31 December 1998

To date, 1 627 restitution claims have been settled of which 1 176 were urban and 451 rural claims

40% of the CASP budget for 2004 was allocated for the post settlement support to restitution cases such as Majeng and Khuis

37,9 hectares of irrigation land were allocated to 18 women in 2004

34,2 ha to 14 women in Hartswater, and

3,7 ha to 4 women in Vioolsdrift

4 045 hectares of agricultural state land were allocated to one Agri-BEE Company.

Under the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development program, 12 projects totalling 41 303 ha were approved, benefiting 198 households.

The breakdown in terms of district is as follows:

1. Frances Baard – 108 ha and 112 beneficiaries

2. Pixley Ka Seme – 30 299 ha and 32 beneficiaries

3. Siyanda – 3 742 ha and 54 beneficiaries

4. Namaqua – 7 154 ha of commonage

Madam Speaker, in line with the new deadline set by our President with regard to the finalisation of the 1 117 outstanding restitution cases, the Regional Land Claims Commission has developed the following implementation plan:

The remainder of the urban claims (723) will be settled by the end of December 2005

The 394 rural claims remaining will be settled by March 2008. The following claims will be settled by end of March 2006:

1. Smauswane

2. Droogfontein

3. Sydney-on-Vaal

4. Pniel

5. Kakamas

6. Dikgweng

In support to the restitution programme, the Department has committed 45% of the annual CASP allocation for post settlement

The announcement by the President to extend the lifespan of the Commission by another three years is a welcome relief. The Commission has now until 31 March 2008 to finalise all outstanding claims. The bid to reverse the 1998 cut-off date will not be successful.

The following reasons were given to have the cut-off date nullified:

That claimants were not properly informed about the process;

Ignorance, age and illness prevented some people from participating;

Some people were misled by their leaders who did not have faith that government could meet their demands; and that

Government did not properly educate citizens about their right to lodge the claims.

For now, the cut-off date for the lodging of late claims will not be extended. It is for this reason that we condemn the actions of people that purport to be acting on behalf of the Commission in sourcing late claims. The office remains confident that the outstanding claims lodged before the cut-off date will be finalised within record time.

Madam Speaker, approximately 300 000 hectares of state land will be disposed of to emerging farmers and communities by March 2006. About 109 000 ha of these will be made available as alternative land for the settlement of the Richtersveld claim

Madam Speaker and honourable Members of the House, I called upon commercial agriculture last year to join Government in making sure that land reform becomes a success. It is our belief that through mentorship, emerging farmers can succeed in becoming active participants in the agricultural economy of the Province.

The following contributions by the Dorperland Dorper Club of South Africa and the Calvinia Boere Unie are a manifestation of our vision of a united and prosperous agricultural sector:

29 rams donated to emerging farmers for small stock improvement

9 ewes and 1 ram donated to the Helpmekaar land reform projects for beneficiaries who are all differently abled.

Such actions are an extolment of the virtues of a new South Africa that belongs to all who live in it.

Madam Speaker, FARM Africa has partnered the department in ensuring that land reform beneficiaries at Kopano Small Farms, De Banken, Blucuso, Beeshoek, Campbell Farmers Commonage and the commonage in Barkley West, receive post settlement support. This support includes training of beneficiaries and official on participatory project management, community facilitation, group dynamics and natural resource management.

We also welcome FARM Africa’s research report titled ‘Key experiences of land reform in the Northern Cape Province’. This report will assist the department and other stakeholders in successfully implementing post settlement support.

Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP)

The implementation of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) is indicative of a serious commitment that government has undertaken on agricultural development and support. This programme is the central focus for the Department, targeting beneficiaries of land and agrarian reform. CASP is the response to the lack of an adequate provision for agricultural development.

During 2004/05, infrastructure (on-farm and off-farm) was identified as one of CASP’s key priorities, and financial resources were allocated for this, targeting poor areas. The province managed to spend 92% of the R10,518 million CASP budget by the end of March 2005 whilst 297 jobs were created.

For the 2005/6 financial year, 26 projects will be implemented with a conditional grant of R13,148 million.

Training and capacity building will be provided to 620 participants according to the identified needs to the amount of R 815 000.

An amount of R 8,104 million will be spent on On-farm infrastructure development. This will include the drilling of boreholes; stock watering systems; fences; drainage systems; poultry houses; repair of reservoirs; solar driven submersible pumps; wind mills and centre pivots.

R 3,277 million will be availed for financing mechanisation as part of CASP in an effort to assist in the buying of tractors and implements.

A total of 777 people, mainly land reform beneficiaries, will benefit from this programme, with the creation of 637 jobs.