Western Cape
21 September 2006
Mr Terance Fife, Chief Director of Provincial Land Reform Office (Western
Cape) and the Western Cape Provincial MEC for Agriculture, Minister Cobus Dowry
cordially invite members of the media to the official handover ceremonies of
three projects in the West Coast Region from 22 to 23 September 2006.
The first handover, to take place in Citrusdal, will be to the Hexrivier
Citrus Trust project consisting of 150 farm workers who will receive a 70%
share in a citrus exporting agri-business comprising a farm of 146 hectares in
terms of the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) Programme.
This type of land reform project is generally known as a Farm Worker Equity
Scheme (FWES), and is an arrangement where both land reform beneficiaries and
private sector partners purchase equity in the form of shares in a land-based
enterprise (either land and operating company or separate land, holding
companies). Participants receive returns in the form of dividends and capital
growth.
The second handover, to take place near Piketberg, will be to the Langrug
Boerdery Trust in terms of the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development
(LRAD) Programme. The applicants acquired 1 150 hectares of land to utilise for
agricultural production. The applicants are emerging farmers, who received a
land reform grant and purchased the Langrug farm in the Piketberg District.
Another project to be celebrated with an official handover ceremony is the
Seeland Development Trust, which consists of 201 emerging farmers who acquired
926 hectares of agricultural land known as Lange Klip Farm and a portion of the
Farm Blaauberg, near St Helena Bay. The land is currently used for farming with
sheep, oats and other wheat crops, as well as sand mining. The beneficiaries,
who are mostly from the Coloured and African communities of St Helena Bay, also
received a grant through the LRAD Programme.
The full details of the ceremonies are as follows:
1. Hexrivier Citrus Trust
Date: 22 September 2006
Time: 13h00
Venue: Citrusdal Sports Ground
Guest speaker: The Hon MEC, Minister Cobus Dowry
2. Langrug Boerdery Trust
Date: 22 September 2006
Time: 16h00
Venue: Langrug Farm, near Piketberg on Velddrift Road
Guest speaker: The Hon MEC, Minister Cobus Dowry
3. Seeland Development Trust
Date: 23 September 2006
Time: 11h00
Venue: Laingville, St Helena Bay
Guest speaker: Chief Director of the Western Cape Land Reform Office, Mr
Terance Fife
Enquiries: Lethabo Mashile
Tel: (021) 426 2947
Fax: (012) 323 3693
Cell: 082 827 6251
Issued by: Department of Land Affairs
21 September 2006
