Zuma vows to carry out land reform

CAPE TOWN. — South African President Jacob Zuma vowed on Saturday to carry out land reform in line with the Constitution.

Describing the “willing buyer, willing seller” model of land reform as “unsuccessful”, Zuma said expropriation will be on the cards for South Africa this year.

However, the land reform will be implemented according to the law, Zuma said at a rally to mark the 103rd birthday of the ruling African National Congress.

More than 40 000 ANC supporters attended the rally at the Cape Town Stadium. The ANC, he said, would work for the adoption of the draft Land Expropriation Bill this year.

The revised draft Bill that the cabinet approved last year allows for the courts to decide on expropriation.

“We commit that the land will be returned to our people and the ANC calls on its government to act with necessary speed to put the legislation in place this year,” Zuma said.

President Zuma acknowledged that land reform progressed at a slow pace, falling short of expectations of the vast majority.

The ANC-led government has come under criticism for failing to expedite land redistribution with only three-million hectares restored.

“We reassert the correctness of the constitution, we reiterate that the usage of the willing buyer seller policy has had unsatisfactory results,” he said.

“Our constitution is very clear on this matter and states that property may be expropriated only in terms of the law of general application for a public purpose,” the president said.

Under the Constitution, expropriation could not happen without compensation.

After the end of apartheid in 1994, the ANC pledged to hand 30 percent of all agricultural land to the black majority by 2014. But the government failed to meet the target. — Xinhua.