It would be “highly irresponsible‚ unfair and unprocedural” to circulate a list of properties that government may expropriate without compensation‚ says the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
The department was responding to a list of 195 properties purportedly earmarked for expropriation that was distributed by civil rights organisation AfriForum.
“Minister Nkoana-Mashabane would therefore like to set the record straight that there is no list of farms for expropriation of land without compensation.
“We therefore put it on record that the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has not embarked on any process of expropriating land without compensation.”
The department said according to law‚ the minister could issue notices of expropriation with an offer for payment of “just and equitable compensation”‚ to which landowners could respond.
Agricultural body Agri SA also questioned the validity of the list. “It is irresponsible of AfriForum to publish such unconfirmed information‚ knowing it to be inflammatory‚” said Agri SA president Dan Kriek.
“Fellow farmers have been exposed by the release of the list.”