Minister says water, funding and infrastructure to fight hunger must support land reform

Land reform and rural development minister Mzwanele Nyhontso says giving people access to land is not enough to end hunger, warning that land reform must be supported by water, infrastructure, funding and other government services to improve food security. Nyhontso made the remarks on Tuesday while presenting his department’s submission to the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) second leg inquiry into the national food system. He told the commission that while land reform was central to building a fair and resilient food system, the land reform and rural development department could not solve the country’s food security challenges on its own. “Food is not merely a commodity; it is linked to human dignity, sustainable livelihoods, household stability, community resilience and social justice,” he said. “The department does not control the entire food system,” Nyhontso told the commission. He said food prices, nutrition, social grants, water, electricity, health services, retail markets and agricultural support all fall under different government departments and require a co-ordinated response. Nyhontso said his department’s role is to improve access to land, strengthen land rights, support rural development and ensure effective land administration. These functions help to create the conditions needed for people to produce food, earn an income and build sustainable livelihoods. He stressed that transferring land alone would not automatically improve food security. “It would be incorrect to say a hectare that is transferred automatically translates into food on a table,” he said. “Land reform is not, on its own, a complete food security solution,” Nyhontso said He said land reform must be accompanied by reliable water supplies, roads, productive infrastructure, access to markets, financial support, skills development and municipal services if it is to make a lasting difference. During the hearing, commissioners questioned the department about the slow pace of land reform, pointing to lengthy negotiations, court cases and budget constraints. Nyhontso said the proposed equitable access to land bill is expected to improve the land redistribution process by creating a stronger legal framework for identifying land for reform and establishing a dedicated land reform agency. However, he acknowledged litigation could not be completely avoided. Nyhontso agreed with the commission that the Expropriation Act on its own was never intended to drive land reform, saying the proposed bill would become the government’s main tool to speed up equitable access to land. Commissioners also raised concerns about the department’s targets for women, young people and people living with disabilities. Nyhontso said the department aims to allocate 50% of redistributed land to women, 40% to young people and 6% to people living with disabilities, adding a detailed breakdown would be provided to the commission. The inquiry also focused on farm evictions. Nyhontso said he was waiting for a legal opinion on a proposed moratorium on evictions, but committed to providing it to the commission within 21 working days.