Packaging and paper corporation Mondi Group is unfazed by moves towards land expropriation without compensation, with CEO Peter Oswald saying the company's business model prioritises access to wood resources instead of land ownership. The ANC's proposal for the amendment of section 25 of the constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation looks set to change the nature of land-claim settlements for companies that own massive tracts of land. Mondi and listed pulp and paper company Sappi have historically settled land claims with communities in which they operate. Mondi, which is listed in Johannesburg and London, manages 245,000ha of plantation forests in South Africa. An Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) research paper on employment trends, opportunities and constraints in forestry and wood products industries, released in April, says an estimated 40% of large grower plantations are subject to land claims. Information on the number of plantati...
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