Black land claims 'on track' in South Africa

CAPE TOWN - South Africa is confident of resolving black citizens' land claims by the end of the year.

The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights said yesterday it was confident it would settle all the outstanding land issues (within deadline) in spite of numerous claims.

Critics have said the Government has been too slow in dealing with land reform and that urgent action is vital to avoid land seizures such as those in Zimbabwe, South Africa's northern neighbour.

A decade after the end of apartheid minority rule, most commercial farmland in Africa's biggest economy is still owned by white farmers and the Government is working to provide land to people dispossessed under former rulers.

The Government has long asserted that its land reform process will be done in an orderly, legal and transparent manner.

The commission said 57,247 out of a total of more than 79,000 claims had been settled by the end of last year.

"The remaining 28 per cent of the claims must be settled by the end of the year as directed by President [Thabo] Mbeki."

Of the claims outstanding 13,247 were for land in urban areas and the remaining 9200 rural claims. The urban land claims would be settled by March.

Land Minister Thoko Didiza said last October that South Africa would have to spend some 13 billion rand ($2.98 billion) to resolve its outstanding claims.

- REUTERS