Land claims, whether legitimate, fraudulent or opportunistic, can cripple farms, businesses and the families that depend on them. Thousands of land transactions, financing applications and plans to develop or expand have been scuttled by land claims, and this has cost South Africa incalculably in terms of jobs and rural development. That is why the family farmer network, the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), decided to publish the largest digital land claims database online. Until now the ANC and Department of Agriculture have done everything possible to keep this information secret, but now the SAAI web page enables users to determine their land claim status in about 20 seconds!
SAAI Discloses Land Claims Database Online! Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza Charged with Contempt of Court
Northern Cape farmers forced to knees with worst drought crisis in 70 years
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The years-long drought in parts of the Northern Cape has made it the worst crisis the province has experienced in the last 70 years.
Livestock donations and even cash donations are regularly received from organizations and individual donors, but the crisis is far from being far too small.
Estimates made indicate that at least R750m is needed to save the farmers from total ruin.
Many farmers have reduced their livestock to core numbers with which they intend to rebuild a herd when the rain comes, but it will take years to put the total number of livestock back on each farm.
Donors are requested to liaise with organized agriculture as the government is quite reluctant to alleviate the need.