The state has taken possession of the Pniel estate near Barkly West in the Northern Cape, the first piece of land to be fully expropriated in terms of the government’s restoration programme.
”Land claims commissioner Tovey Gwanja visited the farm personally on Thursday to symbolically receive the key,” Eddie Nkomazana of the land claims office in Bloemfontein said on Thursday.
The land was previously owned by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Southern Africa.
Presiding bishop deputy of the church Mbanganeni Phafwana said the route taken by government with the expropriation exercise was unfortunate.
Speaking to journalists in Kempton Park, Phafwana said the expropriation took place because the state insisted on putting a clause in the sales agreement that was unacceptable to the church as its provision could have led to insolvency for the church.
Bishop Phafwana said the church would honour the 60-day period, from January 26 when the expropriation came into effect, in terms of the expropriation Act.
As from January 26 the church had until March 26 to indicate whether or not it accepted the state compensation offer of R35,5-million.
Eight percent of the money has already been paid to the church. — Sapa