AgriSA: Motlanthe's views are 'breath of fresh air'
According to IOL, agricultural organisation AgriSA agreed with deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe's views that the law did not need to be changed to achieve land reform, saying that Motlanthe's remarks were a "breath of fresh air".
Motlanthe said that targets could be reached if existing legislation was applied correctly. "The law as it stands today allows the government to expropriate land if it is in the public interest. So willing buyer, willing seller is not an obstacle," he stressed.
AgriSA, reports IOL, welcomed Motlanthe's view that if land had to be acquired in the public interest, fair compensation should be paid. The process should be subject to the authority of the court. "Motlanthe's statement comes as a breath of fresh air in a very problematic land-reform environment where commercial agriculture faces immense uncertainty, threats of expropriation and poor administration," AgriSA said.
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