ANC Produces List of Farms for Expropriation without Compensation

The ANC has taken firm steps in ensuring that the land issue that the country has been facing does not become a forgotten tale. The African National Congress (ANC) has produced a list of farms to be identified as those that will be taken without compensation. “We want those who want to work the land. It will not be given to politically connected people. But clearly, it will be black people. I don’t want to mince my words about that. We need to correct the original sin that was committed,” Deshi Ngxanga, ANC Provincial Secretary exclaimed.

As can be imagined, this was not well received by the current owners of the land who feel that the taking of the 30 identified farms is a heinous act and an utter misdeed. The list of farms is a controversial topic and according to Media Liaison officer, Hesti Steenkamp, several of South Africa’s major trading partners have already expressed concern about the ANC’s flouting of the property clause (Article 7) of the United Nations declaration of Human Rights.
Although no beneficiaries have been identified, Ngxanga says the land in question is in the hands of both the state and private owners. “What we did last was an internal discussion in the PEC. We’ll now roll that out to all those involved, the regional executive committee and branches of the ANC. As soon as this matter is consolidated within the ANC we’ll then start to talk to stakeholders,” continuing that, “Given that there’s a slow pace of delivering on this very important aspect, the PEC went further to identify the farms and we are saying that in as much as we have identified the farms, we wait for due processes to follow in Parliament. As soon as that decision is taken we’ll follow the legal routes in ensuring that all those farms will be expropriated in line with the resolution of the ANC.”

Khaye Nkwanyana, spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reiterates that this procedure will be guided by Parliament, “It would be those farms that are redundant and left unused where owners are keeping them just for the sake of keeping them. It is those farms that we will take and give to the people to make use of them”.

As much as there is resistance to this matter from the current farm owners, Ngxanga explains that there are some farm owners who have expressed their willingness to work together, “”Look, farm owners won’t be willing to hand over their farms. We know there will be resistance, but we already know two or three approached us to say that they are willing to ensure that black people are also brought into the mainstream of the economy.”