accelerated land reform | Radio 94.7 FM

As the ANC promises to move forward with its plans to rework land expropriation without compensation into the Constitution, the party’s supporters are tired of waiting, and are taking things into their own hands.

A new exposé by the New York Times has highlighted how farm land in Stellenbosch has been occupied by squatters who are tired of waiting around for the national government to deliver on its land promises.

Between March and August 2018, land belonging to a wine farm owner near Kayamandi, was occupied by the squatters and a new informal settlement was erected.

According to the paper, while the courts have ordered that the squatters vacate the land, the informal settlement remains. Those who led the charge to occupy the land said it was done out of desperation and frustration with the slow rate of land reform.

The municipality is negotiating to purchase the land from the owner, Stefan Smit, and has reportedly already moved to sup
Continue reading…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says reconciliation is depended on resolving land disputes in the country.

Ramaphosa delivered the key note address to hundreds of people in Umtata at the official Reconciliation Day commemoration on Sunday.

The president says for South Africa to strive for equality there needs to be expropriation of land without compensation.

“Far from being a measure that will fuel tensions or set race relations back, accelerated land reform has the potential to improve goodwill between the people of our country.”

Ramaphosa says the land issue must be resolved.

“Most of the country’s land remains in the hands of a few people in our country. but we must consider that failure to resolve the land issue will threaten the stability of our democratic nation.”

Parliament recently adopted a report recommending the amendment of section 25 of the Constitution to expropriate land without compensation.

YOUTH
Continue reading…