Land reform progressing well, says government

In a bid to prevent widespread land invasions South Africa has sped-up its land reform process, with the Land Claims Commission having validated 95 percent of claims submitted since 2001.

News reports quoted Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza as saying that government was "trying to fast-track the land redistribution process" in order to meet President Thabo Mbeki's 2005 deadline for completion of the reform programme.

Mbeki's deadline followed what Chief Land Claims Commissioner Wallace Mgoqi had termed "tremendous claimant and public pressure to speed up the process" in November last year.

An extra R1.7-billion (about US $192 million) over the next three years had been specially allocated to the department of land affairs - before the 2003/2004 budget - as a demonstration by the government of "how serious it is about delivery in land restitution", he was quoted as saying.

Land Affairs spokeswoman Nana Zenani confirmed reports that 35,294 of the 37,838 claims had so far been validated.

Unlike its northern neighbour, Zimbabwe, South Africa's land reform programme has not been marked by violence and disrespect for the rule of law. However, a number of land invasions have occurred over the past few years outside of the government's programme.