Land Bank to move to agriculture department

The ANC has resolved to move the Land Bank away from the Treasury, to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Johannesburg - The African National Congress (ANC) has resolved to move the Land Bank to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries after it was placed under the Treasury, the party said on Tuesday.

“It is moving to agriculture, where it belongs. The bank was transferred to national Treasury to stabilise governance and finance, that has been achieved. It must be within the department it should facilitate development in the sector, there will be a special focus in rural areas and rural towns and all under serviced areas,” said ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.

The bank was afflicted by poor governance and corruption and was placed under the National Treasury in 2008.

Mantashe said the ANC NEC agreed that agricultural production should be given attention alongside land redistribution.

“While land reform remains the focus of our redistribution pillar, the NEC resolved that special attention be given to the production side as well. Support measures such as access to finance and markets, quality and efficient services and infrastructure were identified.”

There were continuing discussions on the role of the state’s development funding institutions in supporting development of small and medium enterprises, Mantashe said.

The National Assembly last week passed the Expropriation Bill, which sets out the legislative requirements for the State to lay claim to land for public purpose or in the pubic interest, at a fair price. Government had hitherto used the “willing buyer willing seller” principle to redistribute land but has said it found itself disbursing excessive sums in the process.

African News Agency