Didiza says government spent billions on land redistribution, restitution

Didiza says government spent billions on land redistribution, restitution

Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza said government has spent billions on the land reform programme in the past six years.

Didiza said between 2018 and March this year, government spent R3 billion on land redistribution and it spent R18.4 billion on land restitution.

They have allocated more billions on land reform in the next five years.

Government has been accused of slow place in the implementation of the land reform programme.

In a study commissioned years ago, it was found that government would require R172 billion to settle all claims.

This was reiterated by Deputy President Paul Mashatile last year that this process would take years and would cost the state R173 billion.

Didiza said land reform was part of the agenda of the state.

“Government spent R3.03 billion on land redistribution and R18.4 billion on land restitution from February 1, 2018 to March 15, 2024,” said Didiza, adding that they have projected to spend more billions over the next five years.

“The department’s land acquisition projections for the 7th administration to spend is reflected in the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework allocation for the next three years as R 1.60 billion for redistribution and R13.34 billion for the next five years for restitution.”

Didiza was replying to a written parliamentary question from Economic Freedom Fighters members Mzwanele Manyi.

The government has said in the past it has settled more than 83,000 land claims. These were claims settled after the 1998 deadline for people to lodge restitution claims.

Political parties previously raised concern about delays in the settlement of claims dating back to the late 1990s that had not been settled.

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