The residents of Amathole District Municipality overwhelmingly supported the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land (PDAL) Bill during public hearings that were conducted by the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in eQonce yesterday in the Eastern Cape.

The residents raised a number of service delivery challenges directly affecting farmers. The challenges include lack of water, unfencing of grazing areas, no access to land, unavailability of veterinary services and stock theft. They told the committee that they hope that the Bill will address all the challenges they encounter.

The residents expressed their appreciation for the committee to conduct public hearings in their area and they said that they hope that Bill will not just be on paper, but will translate in the elimination of the challenges they have been experiencing.

The Chairperson of the small holders a home of about 30 small-scale farmers said they support the Bill because it is aimed at uplifting the upcoming farmers and to ensure that the land is used effectively. He said if the Bill is passed into law, and fail to address the objectives for which it was drafted, it will be like a pie in the sky and that will be a worst situation to the majority of the people in the province.

The residents called for the Bill to have a clause on the availability and provision of water to small-scale farmers. They stated that water scarcity is a major concern in the area and there can be no farming without water. They also called for assistance with tractors and other necessary agricultural equipment.

They said they are fortunate to have premier livestock farming in the area, but the lack of fencing of their fields is a problem which exposes their animals to theft. Furthermore, they said the escalating stock theft makes it extremely impossible for them to continue with farming. Farmers told the committee that they continue to seek assistance from government through its relevant structures with no success.

Responding to the service delivery challenges raised by farmers in the district, the Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Chief Director, Phakamisa Mgedezi, said the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza recently signed the Beneficiary Selection and Land allocation Policy which states that women will be allocated with 50% and the youth with 40% from the land that will be procured from now going forward.

The Chairperson of the committee, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, thanked the people of Amathole District for their meaningful participation and for ensuring that their voices are heard in this law making process. He told them that promotion of public participation is one of Parliament’s constitutional mandates. He assured them that the committee will follow-up with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to ensure that all the service delivery issues raised by farmers in the area are attended to.

Source: Parliament of South Africa