49 major industrial and commercial operations, is also a serious issue, strengthening the case for a strong social protection program. 6.4 WAY FORWARD: TOWARDS FINALIZING THE LAND QUESTION As indicated earlier, the land question has been the most emotive national question that has left our nation highly polarised. Now is the time to galvanize all our energies to bring finality to this vexatious issue in a manner that heals the wounds of the past six years. Now also is the time for the Government to show magnanimity by extending its hand in reaching out to all its citizens, regardless of political affiliation, race, gender or ethnicity to seek consensus on the way forward. As a start, there is general recognition that the current reforms are irreversible but what is required is developing a national consensus on how best to address the outstanding issues and correct the imperfections in the land redistribution process to the benefit of all citizens who want to build their future on the land as well as to the benefit of our national economy. Our vision ought to be guided by the principle that there should be no winners and losers but rather we should all come out of this experience as winners. The following are considered critical priorities to finalization of the land reform programme: 6.4.1 Increase Tenure Security and Complete Land Reform Programme The first priority here is the need to stabilize the farming sector by bringing finality to land acquisitions so that both the new and old farmers may feel secure on their pieces of land. A major imperative is the need to complete the legal basis of land transfer (i.e. procedures that, following agreed compensation, lead to surrender of title deeds). It is noted that the Government intends to adopt a 99 year transferable lease system as the legal foundation of land tenure in the A2 farming areas while adopting a permit tenure system as a variant of the communal land tenure system for the A1 resettlements. It is important that these issues be finalized as soon as possible. It is also observed that land acquisition and compensation remain incomplete, and existing and future allocations of land remain in dispute on many acquired farms. Land tenure security will thus hold back investment and production unless these issues are addressed as quickly as possible. Tenure security will obtain when land allocations are firmly offered to all farmers, new and old and when such farmers are accorded legal protection of such land rights. Land tenure security is critical in this process and will require participative consultation and/or negotiation processes involving all stakeholders. It is pleasing to note that a number of consultative processes are already underway, e.g. national and provincial dialogues on land and agrarian reform, and stakeholder