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Ace Magashule, Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC) ruling party, told reporters in Johannesburg following a meeting between party executives and traditional leaders that plans to expropriate land without compensation won’t transgress on communal areas. He said: “We affirmed our view that the kings and chiefs are the rightful custodians of communal land for and on behalf of the people and communities in the traditional areas. “The ANC will never be part of any attempt that seeks to tamper with authority of traditional leadership over the land of their ancestors, including traditional communities.” According to Bloomberg, the South African government is considering legislation to revoke a trust that holds all the land that is owned by the Zulu nation and of which King Goodwill Zwelithini is the sole trustee.

The draft Communal Land Tenure Bill will go before Parliament and will enforce individual rights, without leaving traditional leaders in control. It is thought this move could make it easier for millions of South African people to secure land tenure and for millions of poorer people to pass on property to their children, or even take out mortgages against the land. In July, Mr Zwelithini warned of possible clashes if the government dissolved the Igonyama Trust, which covers much of the KwaZulu-Natal province that is the size of Hungary. South Africa’s policy of seizing privately-owned land from white farmers without compensation has stoked tensions over recent weeks. In July, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the ANC party would pass an amendment to the country’s constitution, which he claimed was designed to “outline more clearly the conditions under which expropriation of land without compensation can be affected”.

South Africa land seizures: The proposal was announced by Cyril Ramaphos

Earlier this month, ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe sparked panic among the farming community when he said that any farmers owning more than 25,000 acres of land would have it taken from them without compensation. State-owned Land Bank has warned that the government’s new decree on land reform could trigger defaults that would cost the South African economy £2.2bn if the bank’s rights as a credit are not protected. The situation has been further inflamed following a tweet from Donald Trump on Wednesday, which said he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study the “land and farm seizures” and “killing of farmers”. This sparked a furious reaction from the South Africa, who responded on Twitter by saying it “totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past”.

Ace Magashule said said the plans would not transgress on communal areas

It added: “South Africa will speed up the pace of land reform in a careful and inclusive manner that does not divide our nation.” On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May, visiting Cape Town on the first day of a three-day sub-Saharan tour, pledged her support for widespread land reform in South Africa. But she stressed the need to conduct land expropriations in a “legal and fair way”. Speaking at a press conference, Mrs May said: "The UK has for some time now supported land reform. “Land reform that is legal, that is transparent, that is generated through a democratic process.

South Africa land seizures: Theresa May spoke to Cyril Ramaphosa about the reforms