It is with great shock and regret that Saai learned of Prof. Mohammad Karaan’s death. Prof. Karaan was a pioneer in the agricultural industry on academic, political and economic fronts.
He was the voice of reason in a stressful era during which decisions regarding the how, the what and the where of land reform had to be made. He served the agricultural industry in a distinguished manner at the National Planning Commission and was the architect of Chapter 6 of the national development plan (the so-called Karaan plan). It is and still remains the most successful model for land reform in South Africa and was also applied with great success elsewhere in Africa.
Prof. Karaan himself was an active farmer and thoroughly understood both the theoretical and practical sides of agriculture. He was loved amongst farmers and his death leaves an unfillable void. Saai will continue striving to promote the models developed by him for sustainable land reform and is in cooperation with Agri All Africa involved with a number of projects where it is applied practically.
Met medelye: prof. Mohammad Karaan
Dit is met groot skok en leedwese dat Saai van prof. Mohammad Karaan se afsterwe verneem. Prof. Karaan het baanbrekerswerk op akademiese, politieke en ekonomiese terreine in die landbou-industrie verrig.
Hy was die stem van redelikheid in ’n spanningsvolle era waarin daar oor die hoe, die wat en die waar oor grondhervorming besin moes word. Hy het die landbousektor op ’n voortreflike wyse by die nasionale beplanningskommissie gedien en was die argitek van hoofstuk 6 van die nasionale ontwikkelingsplan (die sogenaamde Karaan-plan). Dit is en bly steeds die mees suksesvolle model vir grondhervorming in Suid-Afrika en is ook met groot sukses elders in Afrika toegepas.
Prof. Karaan was self ’n aktiewe boer en het sowel die teoretiese as praktiese dele van landbou grondig verstaan. Hy was geliefd onder boere en laat met sy heengaan ’n onvulbare leemte. Saai sal aanhou streef om die modelle wat hy ontwikkel het vir volhoubare grondhervorming te bevorder en is saam met Agri All Africa betrokke by ’n aantal projekte waar dit prakties toegepas word.
