Land reform was critical for South Africa because of its “history of dispossession” – and it is the government’s responsibility to “bring all our people into the economic mainstream”.
That is what president Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday at a round-table discussion at the United Nations (UN) in New York in an attempt to court investors to back South Africa.
“There is general agreement among most South Africans that we need to accelerate land reform not only to redress a historical injustice but also to effectively unlock the economic potential of the country’s land‚” the president said.
Ramaphosa said the government wanted land and agrarian reforms which ensures transformation‚ development and stability yet provide certainty to landowners‚ those who need land and investors.
“As the country emerges from nearly a decade of low growth‚ declining investment and faltering employment‚ we are determined to forge a new growth path.”