Land expropriation consultations must be inclusive

THE consultations aimed at mapping out how land expropriation without compensation will work must be inclusive and handled in the most responsible manner.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said this when he fielded questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday last week for the first time since he was sworn into the highest office in the land.

“It is critical that this is an inclusive process, in which all South Africans are actively involved in finding just, equitable and lasting solutions. It requires responsibility and maturity from all leaders.

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“We should not pretend that there is anything revolutionary in encouraging people to illegally occupy land, nor should we resort to the kind of ‘swart gevaar’ [black danger] electioneering that some parties have resorted to. Let us engage in this debate as a nation. I invite all those who are angry, anxious, uncertain, excited and inspired to be part of finding a solution on this issue,” the President said on Wednesday.

Ramaphosa said land is the centre of human existence and that land dispossessions have left a scar on indigenous population groups. He said the return of the land to those who work on it is fundamental to the transformation of society.

Since 1994, the democratic government has embarked on a series of interventions to advance land reform, including restitution, redistribution and tenure reform.

While more than three million hectares of land was restored between 1995 and 2014, the Land Audit Report indicates that whites still own around 72 per cent of the farms owned by individuals, coloureds 15 per cent, Indians 5 per cent and Africans only 4 per cent, the President said.

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