Minister could fall victim to own land cap rules

Cape Town - The ruling ANC’s initiatives to cap farm land ownership could land even the minister in charge of land restitution and reform in hot water.

Minister of Rural Development and Land Gugile Nkwinti owns three farms registered with the Cape Town deeds office. Collectively, they fall significantly below the suggested land cap of 12 000 hectares – but breaks the proposed rule that any owner cannot own more than two farms.

Anthea Jeffery, the South African Institute of Race Relations researcher, pointed out that the proposed cap on two farms could turn out to be more problematic than the 12 000 hectare cap “because some farming operations take place on … scattered land (slices)”.