Government identifies land for redistribution

AS part of accelerating land reform, government has identified land parcels owned by the state for redistribution, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday.

“Strategically located land will be released to address human settlements needs in urban and peri-urban areas,” the President said.

Delivering his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town, President Ramaphosa commended many South Africans who participated in the work of the Constitutional Review Committee on Expropriation of Land Without Compensation, in the dialogue that ensued through the length and the breadth of the country.

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The National Assembly agreed last year to establish an ad hoc committee to initiate and introduce legislation before the end of the fifth Parliament to amend section 25 of the Constitution so that expropriation of land without compensation is made explicit, as a legitimate option for land reform.

Ramaphosa added that the potential of agriculture in South Africa for job creation and economic growth still remains largely underdeveloped.

“South Africa still has large areas of underutilised or unproductive land. There are around 250 000 small emerging farmers who are working the land and need support in fully developing their businesses,” President Ramaphosa said.

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Ramaphosa maintained that agriculture exports are an important source of revenue for the economy.

“We are fortunate to have an agricultural sector that is well-developed, resilient and diversified. We intend to use it as a solid foundation to help develop agriculture in our country for the benefit of all. Through an accelerated programme of land reform, we will work to expand agricultural output and promote economic inclusion,” he said.

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