Thousands of South Africans protest tardy land reform

JOHANNESBURG – Yelling “land for the poor”, tens of thousands of protesters took to South Africa’s streets on Saturday to demand a quicker handover of white-owned farms to landless blacks, organisers said.

Some 10 000 people marched on the offices of the country’s biggest farming union in Pretoria calling for better rights for farm workers and faster land reform -by force if necessary – 10 years after the collapse of apartheid. Landless blacks and farm workers also took their grievances to other farming unions they say represent white interests in nine marches across the country, organised by the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Landless Peoples Movement.”Land reform is too slow and action needs to be taken,” said SACP spokesman Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara.”Land must be returned to the people …and the government must expropriate it if necessary.”South Africa wants to shift half its prime agricultural land into black hands within 10 years, but analysts say less than 4 percent has been transferred since the end of apartheid.Land reform is part of wider efforts to redress decades of injustice under white rule, including the eviction of thousands of non-white South Africans from their land.But it is a thorny topic in a region where white farmers fear a Zimbabwe-style land grab – a policy South Africa has pledged not to repeat.Jara said 60 000 people joined the marches nationwide.Police were not immediately available to confirm that figure.The SACP said the government must speed the reform process by forcibly acquiring land from white farmers instead of seeking willing sellers.It is estimated that whites make up less than 12 per cent of the population but hold 80 per cent of the land.Demonstrators in Pretoria gave Agri SA, South Africa’s biggest farming union, until Dec.15 to respond to their demands and said that if no action was taken they would step up a campaign of protests and pickets.Agri SA has said it accepts it must contribute to black economic empowerment but that the government’s plans for the sector are too ambitious.- Nampa-ReutersLandless blacks and farm workers also took their grievances to other farming unions they say represent white interests in nine marches across the country, organised by the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Landless Peoples Movement.”Land reform is too slow and action needs to be taken,” said SACP spokesman Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara.”Land must be returned to the people …and the government must expropriate it if necessary.”South Africa wants to shift half its prime agricultural land into black hands within 10 years, but analysts say less than 4 percent has been transferred since the end of apartheid.Land reform is part of wider efforts to redress decades of injustice under white rule, including the eviction of thousands of non-white South Africans from their land.But it is a thorny topic in a region where white farmers fear a Zimbabwe-style land grab – a policy South Africa has pledged not to repeat.Jara said 60 000 people joined the marches nationwide.Police were not immediately available to confirm that figure.The SACP said the government must speed the reform process by forcibly acquiring land from white farmers instead of seeking willing sellers.It is estimated that whites make up less than 12 per cent of the population but hold 80 per cent of the land.Demonstrators in Pretoria gave Agri SA, South Africa’s biggest farming union, until Dec.15 to respond to their demands and said that if no action was taken they would step up a campaign of protests and pickets.Agri SA has said it accepts it must contribute to black economic empowerment but that the government’s plans for the sector are too ambitious.- Nampa-Reuters