"It is reckless for a governing party to announce one-sidedly that the principle of willing buyer, willing seller will be abandoned," said TAU SA president Ben Marais in a statement.
Statements like these could do great harm to the country, given the current global economic climate, in which markets and investors were very sensitive to political statements. On Sunday, the ANC called for the scrapping of laws allowing farmers to set a price for land to be redistributed, reported French press agency AFP. ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said "the willing buyer willing seller clause has to be abandoned". This after the party and its alliance partner held a summit to review economic policy.
"Land redistribution cannot depend on the willingness of those who own to sell," he said. He said there should be an evaluation of land and expropriation thereof. On Monday, Marais said government's encouragement of food production for subsistence needs was not a solution to food crises.
"Although nothing is wrong with people growing their own food, it creates the perception that this sort of subsistence farming will be the solution to the food crises.
"Government needs to realise that sustainable food production is a commercial enterprise, and requires economy of scale. Food production in gardens is not sustainable, and no solution to the food crisis, as it is done as a hobby and not for a living."
Marais said if the ANC needed land it should start by looking at government-owned under- or unutilised land. He added that land which had already been transferred and which was still lying fallow should also be considered. - SAPA
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Mr Mantashe is right. What I want to know is How did does whites got the farms. from the illegitimate, racist apartheid government. This means is illegitimate to have does farms. we black we have nothing in our own Africa. Where is a black's man 's land in Europe? a white 's man in Africa!!!. and if you Mr Mantashe and the A.N.C take time to distribute not only land also wealth from whites to Blacks we will take every thing into our hands, to fight for the land from our accentors taken away from them illegally. - July Nyambi
We need to look no further than Zimbabwe and the results of their policies to see what would happen in South Africa if we follow through with a policy such as the ANC is calling for. The proof of the pudding is in the eating! - Steven
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