South Africa's opposition warns of change in land reform policy

South Africa's major opposition party warned on Monday that there will be "far-reaching negative consequences" if the government abandons the willing- buyer, willing-seller approach to land reform.

The Democratic Alliance issued the warning as a reaction to media reports that the government is considering radical changes to its land reform policy.

"Abandoning the willing-buyer, willing seller principle will have far reaching negative consequences for South Africa," DA land affairs spokesman Maans Nel said in a statement.

A discussion document from the Department of Land Affairs, leaked to Farmer's Weekly magazine last week, reportedly blames the slow pace of land reform on adherence to the willing-buyer, willing-seller principle. The document further proposes the principle be abandoned.

Nel said such a proposal threatened to "undermine constitutional provisions which enshrine the 'just and equitable' purchase of property by the state, as well as the need to consider the market value of the property".

He called on the government to open its recent workshop discussions on land reform to all affected parties.

"The DA is fully in favor of a sustainable, equitable and just land reform program. However, we believe in the retention of a market-oriented approach to land reform, which includes the upholding of the willing-buyer, willing-seller principle," he added.

Source: Xinhua