Move to give state first option in future land sales

That, says a Beeld report, is the likely effect of legislation aimed at speeding up land reform, according to Glenn Thomas, head of the Department of Land Affairs. Thomas, who was addressing the Parliament’s Land Affairs Committee, said the provision of first option for the state would apply to all land sales, whether in cities or rural areas. He was not able to put a timeframe on when existing law would be changed. ‘Opportunities for the acquisition of land (for settlement) are being lost because the state cannot be proactive in purchasing land. The amendment will oblige all sellers, inside the state and outside it, to offer their land to the state first,’ he said. Full Beeld report