/ 24 January 2004

SA rejects US ‘land grab’ claim

Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza has rejected foreign media reports that South African farmers are bracing themselves for a wave of land grabs similar to those in Zimbabwe, SABC radio news reported on Friday.

Recently, a New York-based daily reported that much of South Africa’s commercial farmland had been claimed for restitution. The paper contended that the recent amendment of the Restitution Act was inconsistent with the spirit of the Constitution.

Didiza — interviewed by the SABC at Kuruman at the celebration of the Grootvlakfontein land claims settlement — said the recent amendment should not pose any threat to property rights.

She said the Administration of Justice Act had been put in place to ensure that the restitution process was fair, just and transparent. ‒ Sapa