The land issue in SA is still a thorny one

IN HIS Nefarious quest to justify the apartheid-style land grabs and to avoid land expropriation without compensation, Pieter Groenewald of the Freedom Front Plus (recently in parliament), claims that land was either given to Voortrekkers (uninvited) and some bought through some kind of trade.

In his desperate attempt to maintain the status quo – the minority owning more than 80% of land – he goes further to threaten/ instigate civil war. However he conveniently neglects to mention that unjust apartheid laws were in place preventing Africans land ownership (natives land act of 1913) and that most land was dispossessed or stolen through forced removals.

It’s clear that land is a thorny issue that will be a cause for conflict in the future and needs a meticulous approach. Due to lack of empirical proof, as a result of its historic nature, the land issue is open to corruption by our often rogue officials.

Perhaps the best approach is to return stolen land to state coffers (no need to compensate stolen property). Farming projects and incubators need to be facilitated and the indigent supported to run commercial farms.

With our porous borders and an influx of illegal immigrants, who have dubiously acquired documents (through corruption), the land issue is exacerbated. The government needs to halt the sale of land especially to foreigners, at least for now. PATRICK MPHUTHI Sandton