The minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, announced the procedures to be followed when applying for state land. She also said that women and people with disabilities would be prioritised when allocating 896 farms measuring 700 0000 hectares of underutilised or vacant state land, which will be advertised over the next two weeks.
The Minister added that since the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his February 2020 State of the Nation Address, the department has released 135 117 hectares of land to 275 farmers.
The advertisement notices will be in the local, district and provincial newspapers, websites, and local radio stations. Application forms will be made available at the district offices and provincial offices of the Departments of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development as well at Municipal District offices. There will be a selection and adjudication process after the closing date for applications, which is yet to be announced. After due process has been followed, land will be allocated to the successful applicants. Unsuccessful applicants will have an opportunity to register their appeals to the Land Allocation Appeals Committee.
Beneficiaries who have been allocated land will have to undergo a compulsory training programme upon signing their lease agreements. The training will include entry-level training on the commodity of their choice, basic record keeping, and basic financial management and enterprise development.