ANC reaches out to estate agents on land

THE ANC has called on estate agencies to come to the table to talk about the country’s land issues.

Speaking to estate agents at a Greeff Christies International Real Estate sales session yesterday, ANC NEC member Ronald Lamola said Project SA meant everyone’s voice had to be heard.

He said estate agents should not shy away from discussing land redistribution and expropriation issues, and should come forward and contribute.

“We want to build this country together. Come and tell us what you want to commit to, how you can contribute.

“Begin also by telling your clients about the land issue.”

Lamola said land should not only be shared among those who worked it but also among those who needed it.

“We can’t have the majority of our people landless and the minority landowners.”

Lamola said in a recent audit it was found that 72% of the country’s land was owned by the private sector, including private individuals and trusts, and most of these land owners were older white males.

The government owned about 15%, but it accepted it could contribute significantly to land transformation.

Real change could come only when most of the land owners were part of the con- versation and the transformation.

He said: “Even go so far as to tell your clients they can give us land to redistribute.

“If you have something you don’t agree with – let’s talk.

“Do not be bystanders of this change.

“Get involved. Come to workshops. Invite us to things like this.”

Earlier he slammed AfriForum who had gone to America to consult right- wing organisations on land issues.

“Why don’t they discuss issues here and come to the party here, so that we (can) find our own solutions to land issues?

“There is no need to catch a flight and go and discuss this issue in Washington – let’s discuss it here.

“We can catch a flight from Joburg and discuss it here (in Cape Town) because we believe all of us must contribute to build a South Africa that we want.

“This is a project for all South Africans. All of us must participate.”

Referring to apartheid spatial planning issues, he said the vast contrast between European countries and South Africa, and even the US, was that workers lived close to the CBDs where the work was.

In South Africa, because of apartheid spatial planning, the situation was the opposite.