Minister allays land fears
MINISTER of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti has allayed fears that the government would expropriate land without compensation, saying the matter would be discussed by the ANC at its policy conference in June.
Nkwinti told journalists in Parliament yesterday, in a briefing on land reform, that there is no policy on expropriation of land without compensation. Land restitution and redistribution was done in accordance with the law, he said.
President Jacob Zuma has been calling for the expropriation of land without compensation.
The ANC national executive committee has shelved the debate for a special NEC in the coming weeks.
Nkwinti said Zuma’s statement was an expression of what needed to happen, but there is no decision of the ANC on the matter.
Nkwinti said currently there was no provision in the law for expropriation of land without compensation.
The matter had been raised during the debate on the State of the Nation Address, and he had spoken on it.
He said a decision on land redistribution had been taken at an NEC lekgotla. “It says there should be a land audit that goes beyond the current audit. Then you look at the outcome of the audit, then you look at the single restitution law, and then you amend the constitution to expropriate land without compensation. This is an aspiration that we will take to the policy conference. There is no determination on that,” said Nkwinti.
Asked whether he supported expropriation of land without compensation, he said he backed the constitution. “On the expropriation of land without compensation, I stand on the constitutional provisions, section 25. This (Regulation of Agricultural Land Holdings) Bill will be constrained by the Constitution, (for) just and equitable compensation,” said Nkwinti.
He also backed the ANC caucus for refusing to support a motion of the EFF a few weeks ago on expropriation of land without compensation.
He said the ANC MPs were right in the debate not to support the EFF that was playing politics on land reform.
Nkwinti also said there would be a cap on foreign ownership of land in South Africa. The new bill would be able to determine who owns land in the country. Foreigners would no longer be allowed to own land in the country, but they would enter into long-term leases.