Report 'step forward' to build society in which all may share wealth of land: Prez

The panel was appointed in September 2018 to support the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Land Reform, chaired by the Deputy President.

The Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture Report will soon be tabled to Cabinet before being released publicly, the Presidency said on Tuesday.

“This report is an important step forward in our quest to right the original sin by developing solutions that are not only uniquely South African but most importantly, build a society in which all may share in the wealth of our land,” President  Cyril Ramaphosa said.

Earlier, the President and his Deputy David Mabuza received the report of the Presidential Advisory Panel. 

The panel was appointed in September 2018 to support the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Land Reform, chaired by the Deputy President.

It was set up to advise the IMC on a broad range of policy matters associated with land reform, including restitution, redistribution, tenure security and agricultural support. 

To support sound policymaking, the panel was mandated to review, research and suggest models for government to implement a fair and equitable land reform process that redresses the injustices of the past, increases agricultural output, promotes economic growth and protects food security. 

The panel, which is chaired by Dr Vuyo Mahlathi, was further expected to provide perspectives on land policy in the context of persisting land inequality, unsatisfactory land and agrarian reform and uneven urban land development.

President Ramaphosa went on to thank the Deputy President, the IMC and all advisory panel members for their hard work over an eight-month process, which included hours of consultation with various sectors of society and also very deliberate and sometimes dissenting and difficult engagement among the panel members. 

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)