South Africa announces seizure of white farmer's land

South Africa has for the first time moved to seize land from a white farmer, saying negotiations to buy the property to hand over to black claimants were taking too long.

Commissioner Blessing Mphela told a news conference at the Commission on the Restitution of Land Rights in Pretoria that the seizure was a last resort.

South Africa must speed up land reform or face chaos, Mphela added.

Congress Mahlangu, a spokesman for Mphela, said it was the first time the commission had resorted to the expropriation process.

The commission was set up to restore land lost by black South Africans under apartheid.

Previously, South Africa maintained a willing seller, willing buyer approach to land reform, but the government accuses some white farmers of asking too much and dragging out sales.

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka indicated in July the government was considering getting tougher.

Mphela, who is in charge of land restitution cases in North West Province, said the government would issue an expropriation order for a 1,235-acre farm owned by Hannes Visser.

The government has offered 1.75 million rands (about €227,000) and Visser has asked for 3 million (about €390,000).

Visser said he would challenge the order: “I do not recognise the claim on my land and cannot be forced to sell at the government’s price.”

Mahlangu said Visser would receive the expropriation order within a week.

South African officials have repeatedly said they do not plan to emulate Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s seizure of white-owned farms, which many say contributed to the collapse of that country’s farm-based economy.

But Mugabe’s policies have made him hugely popular among black South Africans, while land reform there appears stalled.