Toe the line or face the music, declares Zuma

They are joined in the scramble for land abroad by countries including China, South Korea and European and Middle East nations after steep food price inflation last year highlighted the need to achieve greater food security.

Mr De Jager said the South African deal included tax exemptions on importing agricultural inputs and equipment and full expatriation of profits.

Huge interest

Some 200,000 hectares of state farms would be immediately available for South African farmers, Mr De Jager said, but added: “It’s not limited to those farms...There’s no limit on the land you can get (up to 10 million ha)...it’s whatever you need in terms of your business plan.”

Mr De Jager said about 1,700 South African farmers had enquired about farming in the Congo.

“I don’t think all of them will eventually go out there, but there has been huge interest in this,” he said.

Renewing the 30-year lease would be decided by a committee, and conditions would include farmers actively using the land, he said.
“If you’re not producing then this evaluation committee can decide to terminate the lease agreement,” he said.

The land deal was announced in April, but was delayed by General Election in the Congo in July, and then by revisions to the lease period to 30 years from 99 years.

Analysts point to potentially huge rewards in investing in farmland as the world population grows, while many see climate change and biofuels choking off the supply of arable land.

Since the end of apartheid, the South African foreign policy has focused on its African partners particularly in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union.

South Africa has played a key role as a mediator in African conflicts over the last decade, such as in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Comoros, and Zimbabwe.

Founding member

After apartheid ended, South Africa was readmitted to the Commonwealth of Nations.

As the Union of South Africa, South Africa was a founding member of the United Nations and the then Prime Minister Jan Smuts wrote the preamble to its constitution.

South Africa was a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council between 2007 and 2008, and has attracted controversy by voting against a resolution criticising the Burmese government in 2006 and against the implementation of sanctions against Zimbabwe in 2008. (Agencies)