Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma said 2017 is the year of “taking land back to the people” and for this reason government will seek to change legislation to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

Zuma spoke at the launch of Operation Phakisa on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in Pretoria on Friday and said the country needs to take bold steps that will transform South Africa’s economy, including land ownership, swiftly.

“[In order] to achieve all the goals mentioned in the State of the Nation Address government is busy amending all the laws and policies to enable faster land reform, including land expropriation without compensation as provided for in the constitution,” Zuma said.