The Western Cape has a success rate of 62% for land reform projects, against a failure rate of 90% for the country as a whole, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Thursday as it weighed in on the emotive debate around expropriation without compensation.
Reacting shortly after Western Cape Premier Helen Zille’s State of the Province address to the provincial parliament, the chamber said the success of land reform in the province made “nonsense” of radical and destructive measures like expropriation without compensation as put forward by the ruling ANC and new head of state Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation address last week.
“When we see the number of job growth in agriculture and the 11% increase in tourism, then it is clear that the Western Cape is the best place in South Africa to do business,” said Janine Myburgh, president of the chamber.
“I was pleased to learn that 62 % of the land reform projects in the Western Cape have been successful against a failure rate of 90% for the country as a whole.
"That is enormously encouraging and I hope our new president takes note of this achievement and the partnerships that made it possible.”
Myburgh said that “when success like this could be achieved, it made nonsense of radical and destructive measures like expropriation without compensation”.
She added that despite the devastating drought and fires in the Western Province, the picture that emerged from the State of the Province address by Zille was remarkably positive.
She said the chamber fully supported the premier’s appeal to make military land in Cape Town available for housing.
“Building on land at Ysterplaat, Wingfield and Young’s Field aerodromes could bring people closer to town, their places of work and public transport while boosting the economy and creating thousands of new jobs.
“These are opportunities to transform the City and make the wasted urban land productive,” Myburgh said.