Media release
(Johannesburg, 16th September 2011) - TheLandless People´s Movement of South Africa, a social movement of rural people and peopleliving in shack settlements in cities, announces the revival of the massstruggle for land and agrarian reform, after a moment of apparent silence.
Themovement announced this intention in a press conference held in Johannesburg onthe 16th September.
As the situation of rural and urban poor and the state ofland and agrarian reform is not showing significant changes in South Africa,LPM decides to carry out direct and concrete actions in order to reclaim landand social justice.
As the situation of rural and urban poor and the state ofland and agrarian reform is not showing significant changes in South Africa,LPM decides to carry out direct and concrete actions in order to reclaim landand social justice.
According to Africa Mthombeni, LPM chairperson, in the lastyears the movement has seen massive poverty both in rural and urban areas, asthe redistribution of wealth and public resource has been made unfairly,benefiting few people in South Africa.
“We will not remain peaceful,silent and hoping that things will fall from the sky. We will have to act. One of the things wewill do, is considering to encourage land occupation”, announces Edwin MohlahloLPM Secretary General, who added “we can not have new apartheid in SouthAfrica. The land distribution has been characterized by corruption and nepotism.So, the land occupation program might be the answer”.
“In my province rural people applied to get land in 2006 butthere is nothing coming from the Government, up to now. They (the Government)just call us to the meetings but we never get support”, said Tandiwe MakinaneLPM member in Easter Cape.
Green paper on LandReform is insignificant
LPM says that the 2011 green paper on Land Reform does notmake a fundamental break with market-based land reform. It represents abackward step for the landless people in South Africa as it even legitimizesdispossession.
For example, it talks about Food Sovereignty, withoutdefining it. One of the pillars of Food Sovereignty is that the landless,small-scale farmers are the most important actors in the production and havethe right to definetheir own food, agriculture and livestock systems in opposition to Industrial Agriculture,which is the priority of the South African Government.
Even if it is a good step, the Green Paper intends tointegrate land reform on the Industrial Agriculture system, just to accommodateagribusiness interests.
LPMcalls all landless, small scale farmers, rural and urban poor for mobilizationon a mass scale to force changes in order to achieve genuine agrarian reform,agro-ecology production and a food system based on the needs of the people.
Climate Change andCOP 17
The LandlessPeoples Movement and La Via Campesina are mobilizing for the 17th Conference ofthe Parties (COP 17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC) that will take place in Durban, South Africa, from 28 Novemberto 9 December 2011.
Aspeasants, small holders and family farmers, who today produce the vast majorityof food consumed on this planet, members of the LPM as well as small scalefarmers of the world are being placed in danger, as temperatures rise, plantingdates become unpredictable and there are ever more severe droughts, hurricanesand monsoons.
Yetlandless and peasants also offer the most important, clear andscientifically-proven solutions to climate change through localizedagroecological production of food by small holder farmers under the FoodSovereignty paradigm.
LPM is a member of the International Movement of Peasant andrural people, La Via Campesina (LVC). The goal of LVC is to bring change in thecountryside, that improves livelihoods enhances local production for localconsumption. It also opens up democratic spaces that empower the people of theland with a great role, position and stake in decision-making on issues thathave an impact on their lives.
