home buyers 'must give race, gender'
4 September 2007
All existing and future land owners in South Africa should register their citizenship, nationality, race and gender, a government commissioned-report recommends, a copy of which was obtained on Monday.
The report contains recommendations on how to regulate foreign ownership of land in South Africa commissioned by Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana.
The report was scheduled to be released by Xingwana at a news conference on Monday morning, but the event was cancelled at a late stage. Copies of the document were leaked to some reporters later in the day.
"A system of compulsory disclosure/declaration of nationality should be introduced immediately," the report says.
The registration will allow government to have reliable data on land ownership patterns in South Africa, particularly in relation to a land reform agenda. The registration process would be for "disclosure and statistical purposes and not for causing any unfair discrimination". Anyone who currently or in the future will own or has a registerable interest in land and landed property would be required to register, says the report.
"In order to measure progress on the transformation of the South African land holding patterns, disclosure on the basis of race should apply only to South African citizens and permanent residents."
The panel of experts who compiled the report suggest that any new transfer of fixed property or first-time registration of newly-developed fixed property should include a requirement to disclose these details.
A process to allow existing land owners to disclose their details should begin in January 2008. The report suggests various penalties including fines and prohibited property transfers should be imposed on non-compliers.
"Ordinary citizens, both black and white, feel very strongly that acquisition of prime land by foreigners is denying them affordable access to land and rendering them strangers in their own country," the report said.
Sapa, www.iafrica.com