‘It’s land reform - or revolution’

January 13 2011 at 10:36am
By Deon de Lange
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Independent Newspapers
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union has called on president Jacob Zuma to show courage and decisive leadership by limiting or banning foreign land ownership in South Africa. Photo: Henk Kruger
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has warned president Jacob Zuma of a possible “revolution” and “social upheaval” unless his government takes a “clear and unambiguous” position on the contentious issue of land reform.

Tension is building in the political, labour and agricultural sectors as the government prepares to process a number of controversial land and agrarian reform measures in Parliament in 2011.

Among these is the proposed Land Tenure Amendment Bill, aimed at:

Protecting the rights of people who live and work on farms.

State assistance in settling people on alternative land.

Achieving security of tenure for farm-dwellers.

Making it easier for the state to appropriate land for the purpose of land restitution and redistribution.

The Freedom Front Plus this week described the proposed amendments as having “far-reaching consequences for traditional property rights principles”.

Werner Weber, the party’s land affairs spokesman, said: “The government’s intention to obtain land on behalf of farmworkers by using far-reaching expropriation powers is a dangerous and irresponsible intention.”

He warned that the government appeared determined to change property rights “due to political considerations”, without realising what the consequences of this “tendency” would be.

Nehawu on Wednesday hit back against what it called the “sale” of the country to “foreigners” and “capitalists”, saying it was time for Zuma to “show courage and decisive leadership” by limiting or banning foreign land ownership in South Africa.

“Throughout history, unfair land distribution has been one of the most common factors in provoking revolutions and social upheavals.

“It is totally unacceptable that, 17 years after the fall of apartheid, we have only handed over an abysmal six percent of arable land to previously landless communities,” the organisation said.

The union’s statement goes on to call on the government to extricate the rural poor from poverty by ensuring they had access to land, training and resources in order to practise both subsistence and commercial farming.

“We find it unacceptable that, in a country with vast tracts of arable land, there are people who are malnourished - who go to bed hungry - and we experience a food crisis …

“The question of land is a bread-and-butter issue and, when poor people go hungry, history tells us that they fight back,” the union warned.

Land and agrarian reform are among the ANC’s five key policy priorities for 2011- along with economic development, health, education and crime - as outlined in the party’s January 8 statement delivered by Zuma in Polokwane last weekend.

The tricky issue is likely to generate heated debate as senior government officials, ANC leaders and union representatives gather for a two-day lekgotla in Midrand on Thursday. - Political Bureau

The Star

Comments by Sonny

So, tell us Mr President, when did the revolution ever end??

We know what your political and revolutionary agendas are.

The World is watching you!