SA moves to speed up land reform

By: * ED STODDARD

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa will expropriate a white-owned farm without a court order for the first time under new laws aimed at speeding up the return of land to black communities dispossessed under apartheid.

The government used its new powers after the farmer demanded nearly

double the market price for the land, Chief Land Claims

Commissioner Thozi Gwanya told Reuters on Friday.

The government has expropriated land before, but legislative

amendments passed last year now enable it to do so without a court

order if talks reach an impasse under a "willing-seller,

willing-buyer" approach.

 

"This will be our first expropriation under the amendments to

the law.

 

Not getting a court order saves us a lot of time," Gwanya

said.

 

"By taking this action we are hoping to break the deadlocks in

other cases.

 

We are hoping to fast-track the process of land reform," he

said, adding that he would only use his new powers as a last

resort.

 

Land is an emotive issue in South Africa where the white

minority still owns the bulk of agricultural land more than a

decade after the end of apartheid.

 

The 500-hectare (1 250 acres) cattle farm in North West Province

has been earmarked for expropriation under a programme that enabled

communities or individuals who were dispossessed under minority

white rule to lay claim to their former land.

 

The cut-off date for filing a claim was Dec.

 

31, 1998.

 

Talks with the owner of the farm broke down over the price.

 

The farmer wanted three million rand for his farm while the

government offered 1,75 million rand.

 

"We cannot pay him more than the market price, which is 1,75

million rand for such a property," Gwanya said.

 

The farmer will likely be served notice next week.

 

He then has 30 days to argue why the order should not be made

final.

 

"He can then go to court to challenge the price that has been

paid but not to oppose expropriation.

 

We are trying to do this in a flexible and open manner," Gwanya

said.

 

The government has been keen to highlight the difference between

its approach and that of neighbouring Zimbabwe, where President

Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party launched land invasions in

2000 and began seizing white-owned farms.

 

Zimbabwe's land seizures have been blamed for a sharp downturn

in its commercial farming sector, once the backbone of the

country's economy.

 

Gwanya said South Africa had already settled close to 67 000

land claims out of about 79 000.

 

About 7 000 rural land claims remain and the government has

complained that the process has been slowed because owners are

demanding too high a price for their land.

 

Most urban claims have been settled with cash rather than land,

but rural communities are keen to till the soil.

 

The government says it wants 30 per cent in black hands by 2014

but only about three per cent has so far been handed over.

 

"We do have white farmers who are willing to be part of the new

arrangement, and we are working well with those farmers," said

Gwanya.

 

"But we are going to use this expropriation clause to speed

things up, although only as a last resort."

 

-Nampa-Reuters

 

The government has expropriated land before, but legislative

amendments passed last year now enable it to do so without a court

order if talks reach an impasse under a "willing-seller,

willing-buyer" approach."This will be our first expropriation under

the amendments to the law.Not getting a court order saves us a lot

of time," Gwanya said."By taking this action we are hoping to break

the deadlocks in other cases.We are hoping to fast-track the

process of land reform," he said, adding that he would only use his

new powers as a last resort.Land is an emotive issue in South

Africa where the white minority still owns the bulk of agricultural

land more than a decade after the end of apartheid.The 500-hectare

(1 250 acres) cattle farm in North West Province has been earmarked

for expropriation under a programme that enabled communities or

individuals who were dispossessed under minority white rule to lay

claim to their former land.The cut-off date for filing a claim was

Dec.31, 1998.Talks with the owner of the farm broke down over the

price.The farmer wanted three million rand for his farm while the

government offered 1,75 million rand."We cannot pay him more than

the market price, which is 1,75 million rand for such a property,"

Gwanya said.The farmer will likely be served notice next week.He

then has 30 days to argue why the order should not be made

final."He can then go to court to challenge the price that has been

paid but not to oppose expropriation.We are trying to do this in a

flexible and open manner," Gwanya said.The government has been keen

to highlight the difference between its approach and that of

neighbouring Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe's ruling

ZANU-PF party launched land invasions in 2000 and began seizing

white-owned farms.Zimbabwe's land seizures have been blamed for a

sharp downturn in its commercial farming sector, once the backbone

of the country's economy.Gwanya said South Africa had already

settled close to 67 000 land claims out of about 79 000.About 7 000

rural land claims remain and the government has complained that the

process has been slowed because owners are demanding too high a

price for their land.Most urban claims have been settled with cash

rather than land, but rural communities are keen to till the

soil.The government says it wants 30 per cent in black hands by

2014 but only about three per cent has so far been handed over."We

do have white farmers who are willing to be part of the new

arrangement, and we are working well with those farmers," said

Gwanya."But we are going to use this expropriation clause to speed

things up, although only as a last resort."-Nampa-Reuters

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