Trade union Nehawu on Wednesday called on President Jacob Zuma to limit or ban foreign land ownership and to speed up land reform.
“South Africa needs to guard against a situation where we put a ‘for sale’ sign on our country by allowing foreign land ownership when we can lease the land to those who want to invest in our country,” the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union said.
“That land acquisition policy results in the displacements of the indigenous people when the unquenchable thirst for profits from capitalists kicks in and government’s hands are tied.
“The question of land is a bread and butter issue and when poor people go hungry history tells us that they fight back.”
The statement follows remarks by Zuma at the ANC’s 99th anniversary celebrations in Polokwane at the weekend, that appeared to revive plans to limit foreign ownership of land.
Initials plans to do so were shelved four years ago after it emerged that only about 5% of South African land was foreign owned.
This drew a warning on Monday from organised agriculture against tampering with property rights. — Sapa