WORKSHOP A - LAND ACCESS AND OWNERSHIP
dispute resolutions incorporating formal, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and customary procedures. Mr James Paice, MP, United Kingdom, said that the world is facing numerous dramatic challenges such as climate and population changes and food shortages, and it’s vital therefore that land should not just be occupied, but should be farmed, as maximum productivity is needed to improve food security.
A delegate from the Ghanaian Parliament stated that the idea of land access was conceptually difficult as it related to land tenure, and asked about the situation in South Africa. He felt that in most African countries it is difficult to obtain money for land procurement and asked why this it’s not made easier for investors to obtain money to gain access to land. A delegate from Malaysia suggested that an oversight body should be set up to check progress and to monitor land distribution. Hon. P.P.P Moatlhodi, MP, Botswana, emphasized that land had to be allocated to the right people, at the right time and under the right conditions.
Services such as water, power and roads need to be available to ensure its success. It is also important that land allocated for food, should be protected and no allocation should be allowed to lie uncultivated since land does not multiply. It should be allocated as properly and carefully as possible, as history has shown that land and access to it, can lead to wars. Professor Mayende responded that many of the inputs were comments and that he would restrict himself to the questions posed. He agreed it is not about who occupies the land, but rather the capability of that person to use the land. He emphasized that small farms could be just as productive and many examples were available to testify to this. It was also important that in addressing these issues, there is a need to address the historical injustices head on. He reported that in South Africa, 45 per cent of land, which constitutes six million hectares, remains in the hands of white farmers and is either
un-utilized or underutilized. This land has to be targeted as it is kept more as a “trophy” than for its productivity. Mr Thibedi recommended that more focus should be placed on those who have a passion, interest and will to farm than adhering strictly to a capacity requirement. With the state usually being the owner of the majority of land, it has to ensure that not all of the land is available for sale. Different options such as leases to address land access in a constructive and sustainable manner have to be investigated.
Mr Mokgoro suggested a land summit for South Africa, as although land reform is taking place, it is still very slow.
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A delegate from the Parliament of Jamaica argued that care should be taken with the suggestion that lack of funding is the main problem with land access. The cost of producing products was sometimes costly against the international price at which it retailed. He cited the difficulty of profitably producing a bag of coffee beans in Jamaica.
Mr Watty Watson, MP, South Africa, stated that not all land should be privately owned and that the state should be in charge of land distribution. There was however government and trust land where many poor people were situated. He felt that the biggest problem is the lack of access to funding. Banks
are hesitant to assist the poorest people as they do not accept land as the necessary collateral; something which makes no economic sense to him.
This was concerning given that in other countries banks are prepared to accept land as collateral. Therefore banks need to change their systems and Parliamentarians could play a role in helping to achieve this. Mr Thibedi discussed the role of traditional leaders in land access and the importance of constructively engaging them and felt their roles need to be clarified. Women should similarly be involved in land access matters give the size of its female population.
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