Share

Zuma: Land Act damage must be undone

Johannesburg - South Africa has not fully reversed the damage done by the Natives Land Act, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

"A great wrong was done, and now it is up to us to follow-up by doing a great right," he said in a speech prepared for delivery at a commemoration of the centenary of the 1913 Land Act.

"We are now in charge of our own destiny. We have achieved a successful transition to democracy, but we have not yet fully reversed the dreadful pattern of poverty and landlessness - the havoc created by the Natives Land Act," said Zuma.

"Correcting the consequences of this act is a critical cog in the wheel of state. It is a crucial component in the National Development Plan."

The act dispossessed land from black and "native" South Africans.

Zuma said it marked the beginning of the socio-economic challenges the country now faced.

"The act was enforced for 78 years until it was repealed in 1991, and during these many years it did enormous damage, so much so that despite 22 intervening years, the legacy of the act stubbornly persists," he said.

"We take our hats off to the black people of this country and to the Khoi and the San people, for not allowing the pain of the past to stand in the way of building the present and the future.

"The pain of being driven off one's land is worse than anything one can imagine."

Zuma said the government admitted that the land redistribution progress had been slow, and that the 2014 redistribution target would not be met.

Until now, only 6.7 million hectares of land had been transferred through redistribution and restitution.

"We call on all South Africans to commemorate this landmark, with a view to correcting the wrongs of the past and to reinforce reconciliation," Zuma said.

"We urge the public to participate in the process of improving land redistribution and reform to reverse the impact of the 1913 act."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.09
-1.0%
Rand - Pound
24.06
-0.7%
Rand - Euro
20.58
-0.5%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.39
-0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.9%
Platinum
894.64
-0.3%
Palladium
992.99
-0.9%
Gold
2,196.85
+0.1%
Silver
24.44
-0.8%
Brent-ruolie
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,964
+0.4%
All Share
74,173
+0.4%
Resource 10
56,465
+1.4%
Industrial 25
103,617
+0.3%
Financial 15
16,480
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders