Clarifying land reform: No genocide against white people, G20 meeting told
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development acting director-general Nomthandazo Moyo clarifies the South African government's stance on land redistribution.
Image: GCIS/ Facebook
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development acting director-general Nomthandazo Moyo has set the record straight on reports of genocide in South Africa.
Moyo was speaking during the opening of the G20 Development Working Group in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
Moyo said that while the country deals with development issues, it also faces challenges and every country deals with crime issues.
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Moyo also said issues of public safety are something that affects everyone, irrespective of whether you are in the south, the north or the east of the globe.
As the administrator responsible for land, Moyo confirmed that there is no expropriation of land without compensation when it comes to land redistribution issues and there is also restitution for those whose land was taken during apartheid.
'When we restitute the land, we buy the land from the previous owners. We don't take it by force,' Moyo said.
She said misinformation was even being spread by the media.
'We do buy the land in order to give it back to those who had the land taken (away) through apartheid,' Moyo said.
'I can confirm there is no genocide. There is no deliberate action by this government to kill white people.
'We believe in humanity, we believe in one nation irrespective of race and our policies, our legislation and the application thereof embrace humanity.'
Moyo said she thought that as the discussion begins on development, it is crucial to remember that this development must be inclusive and non-discriminatory, regardless of race.
'We are one, whether we are black, white, Indian, coloured, we are human race,' Moyo said.
Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation director-general Robert Nkuna.
Image: GCIS/ Facebook
Adding, Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation director-general Robert Nkuna said: 'The point is we did not plan genocide in the past. There is no genocide at present. There would be no genocide in future. So that is our story.'
The issue of genocide in South Africa has reached foreign soil, with President Cyril Ramaphosa recently travelling to the United States to speak to US President Donald Trump.
Ramaphosa told Trump that there is no white genocide in South Africa.
Since the meeting with Trump, more political heads and other leaders have also said there is no genocide in South Africa.
These include award-winning American actress Viola Davis, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Free State Agriculture's Dr Jane Buys and former African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za
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