Land reform laws biased – Zuma

President Jacob Zuma said that laws governing land reform and restitution in South Africa were biased in favour of land owners.

Speaking on the topic of land restitution at the opening of the National House of Traditional Leaders in Cape Town, President Zuma urged traditional leaders to get good lawyers to take advantage of the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill.

The Bill was passed in the National Assembly earlier this week and re-opens the land restitution process until December 31, 2018.

Zuma said that the previous process had excluded many people and he was hoping that the latest process would see more people claiming land.

“We must re-open [this matter]. This law will do so. I’m hoping that during this period, we will also do one thing – look at the act,” Zuma said in a Sapa report.

“Because the quicker reading of the act, being not a lawyer, is very biased. Those who are claiming land, they have got to go into minute detail to prove this was their land. Those who are owning the land have to do very little to stop the claim,” Zuma was quoted as saying.

“I think those who are claiming should find good lawyers to help address this matter.”

The president urged traditional leaders to pool their resources and help their people reclaim land.

“Therefore I say we must look at the law. It must not be very difficult for us to prove that this is our land, and be easy for those who say I bought this land.”

Source iAfrica.com