New approach for land reform

Land reform in South Africa had not been handled properly and a change in approach was needed, but that would not include land grabs, Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti said.

Nkwinti said it would include precarious tenure for foreigners.

He told a Black Management Forum annual conference that the process would not mean freehold policies being changed on purchases of private land to something less secure.

Professor Shadrack Gutto from Unisa and sociopolitical activist Andile Mngxitama both highlighted the failure so far in transferring land to the majority.

Gutto called for Codesa to solve the continuing problems in transferring ownership, and questioned why reform had to be on a freehold basis, while Mngxitama went as far as to say government was just a manager for white business.

"We need a new approach in dealing with land. We will no longer allocate land in the way we have. We will now publicise it and ask people who want to run farms as a business, rather than people who are just having braais there," said the minister.

He indicated that some land buyers in the reform process did not even live on their land and it was unproductive.

"Farming is a business so you must apply and we will help you as it is very expensive to farm."

Nkwinti said there needed to be minimal disruption to production.

"We can't grab land. Let's disabuse ourselves of this. If that happens people don't produce and fight among themselves and look to government to solve their problems."

Regarding foreign ownership of land, the proposal in the current green paper is for freehold ownership, but with precarious tenure.

"In areas where we can't get them out, they must contribute to transformation. Even if we are accused of being racist, we are not ashamed of that, we will push that. We have to do it," Nkwinti said.