Agri SA vra dat kommersiële boere hulle nie op sleeptou moet laat neem deur persone wat nie eerstehands by die Agri SEB-proses betrokke is nie, maar as sogenaamde ingeligtes oor AgriSEB landswyd werkswinkels oor die onderwerp hou. Boere word aangeraai om hul streeklandbou-unies of bedryfsorganisasies hieroor te nader wat deur Agri SA toegang het tot die korrekte inligting oor die onderhandelings oor Swart ekonomiese bemagtiging in die landbou.

Dit is Agri SA se standpunt dat dit van geen wit kommersiële boere vereis kan word om grond sonder billike vergoeding vir Swart ekonomiese bemagtiging of vir enige ander doel af te staan nie.

Dié gerugte het hul oorsprong in die AgriSEB-raamwerk wat die Minister van Landbou en Grondsake as n besprekingsdokument in Julie vanjaar vrygestel het, die veldtog van die SAKP waarmee n vinniger pas van grondhervorming bepleit word en konsultante wat wil munt slaan uit die gevolglike onsekerheid en vrese van grondeienaars.

Agri SA wil dit onder grondeienaars se aandag bring dat:

die Minister se AgriSEB-raamwerk n besprekingsdokument is en nie n wet soos wat deur sommiges beweer word nie;

hierdie raamwerk word deur verskeie invloedryke deelnemers aan die konsultasiesproses as n onaanvaarbare vertrekpunt beskou en sal derhalwe aansienlik gewysig moet word;

private eiendomsreg deur die grondwet beskerm word en derhalwe nie per oorhoofse ooreenkoms van individue ontneem kan word nie;

Agri SA nie sal toestem tot die prysgawe van private eiendomsreg deur individuele boere nie, behalwe binne die konteks van die vrywillige koper, vrywillige verkoper benadering;

die staat se reg om te onteien erken word met die voorbehoud dat markverwante pryse vir grond en verbeterings betaal word;

die reg van individuele boere om na goeddunke hul grond vir doeleindes van Swart ekonomiese bemagtiging beskikbaar te stel word eweneens erken; en

n Agri SEB-raamwerk sal slegs deur Agri SA ondersteun sal word indien die organisasie met die ondersteuning van sy affiliasies tevrede is met die konsultasieproses en die resultaat daarvan.

Agri SA wil dit ook duidelik stel dat dié organisasie geen ooreenkoms met enige party, insluitende die regering, oor Agri SEB óf die toepassing van die "Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act" in die landbou gesluit het nie.

Agri SA is wel verbind tot die verbreding van deelname deur alle bevolkingsgroepe soos vervat in die Sektorplan vir die landbou, wat in samewerking met die regering ontwikkel is. Hiervoor het Agri SA volledige mandate van sy lede ontvang. Die Sektorplan is reeds drie jaar n openbare dokument en Agri SA rapporteer gereeld oor vordering met die implementering daarvan, ook na aanleiding van besprekings daaroor in president Mbeki se werkgroep met die kommersiële landbou. Die Sektorplan maak byvoorbeeld geensins voorsiening vir die onrealistiese teikens vir grondhervorming wat nou die rondte doen nie.

Agri SA het reeds n besprekingsdokument oor AgriSEB aan sy affiliasies gesirkuleer en het hulle ook versoek om voorstelle oor AgriSEB voor te lê. Hierdie insette sal binnekort deur Agri SA oorweeg word as n eerste inset in die onderhandelingsproses oor AgriSEB waarmee daar skaars begin is. Dit is standaardpraktyk dat Agri SA en sy affiliasies boere hieroor ingelig hou.

Navrae: Lourie Bosman, Agri SA President
                082 388 3000

Hans van der Merwe, Agri SA Uitvoerende Direkteur
                082 388 0001 of 012-322 6980

Tuis

Agri SA has called on farmers not to allow themselves to be influenced by people who are not involved in the AgriBEE process on a first-hand basis but who, as so-called informed experts, host AgriBEE workshops all over the country. Farmers are advised to approach their regional agricultural unions or commodity organisations which, via Agri SA, have access to the correct information on negotiations on Black economic empowerment in agriculture.

Agri SA is of the opinion that no white commercial farmer would be expected to give up land for Black economic empowerment or any other purpose without fair compensation.

The rumours originate from the AgriBEE framework that the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs released in July this year as a discussion document; the campaign launched by the SACP advocating a faster pace of land reform, and consultants who wish to profit from the resultant uncertainty and fears of land owners.

Agri SA wishes to draw landowners' attention to the following:

The Minister's AgriBEE framework is a discussion document and not a law as alleged by some;

This "framework" is regarded by various influential participants in the consultation process as an unacceptable point of departure and must therefore be drastically amended;

Private property rights are protected by the Constitution and individuals can therefore not be deprived of such rights in an industry charter;

Agri SA will not agree to forfeiture of private property rights by individual farmers, except within the context of the willing buyer, willing seller approach;

The State's right to expropriate is recognised, provided that market-related prices are paid for land and improvements;

The right of individual farmers to make their land available for purposes of black economic empowerment at their own discretion is similarly recognised; and

Agri SA would only support an AgriBEE framework if the organisation, with the support of its affiliates, was satisfied with the consultation process and the outcome thereof.

Agri SA also wants to state clearly that this organisation has reached no agreement with any party, including the government, on Agri BEE or the implementation of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act in agriculture.

Agri SA is, however, committed to broadening participation by all population groups as stated in the Sector Plan for agriculture, which was developed in collaboration with the government. For this Agri SA has secured a full mandate from its members. The Sector Plan has been a public document for the past three years and Agri SA regularly reports on progress with the implementation thereof, also with reference to the discussion thereof in President Mbeki's commercial agriculture working group. The Sector Plan, for example, makes no provision for the unrealistic targets for land reform doing the rounds at present.

Agri SA has already circulated a discussion document on AgriBEE to its affiliates and has also asked them to submit proposals on AgriBEE. Agri SA will soon consider these inputs as a first contribution towards the negotiation process on AgriBEE, which has barely started. It is standard practice for Agri SA and its affiliates to keep farmers informed, also in this regard.

Enquiries: Lourie Bosman, Agri SA President
                082 388 3000

Hans van der Merwe, Agri SA Executive Director
                082 388 0001 or 012-322 6980

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