South Africa is going to deal with the thorny issue of land reform in a "legal way" and will not "go the Zimbabwe route".

This is according to President Jacob Zuma, who yesterday repeated his call for a constitutional amendment to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.

Zuma was responding to a debate in the National House of Traditional Leaders, where he responded to a number of issues, ranging from crime to the land question.

Land reform has become a topical issue after ANC MPs rejected a motion by the EFF last month for the constitution to be changed to allow for expropriation of land without compensation.

The president said yesterday that resolving the land issue was central to the achievement of real reconciliation in South Africa.

He said the country needed to use "democratic methods" to address the limitations of the constitution if it did not adequately address the issue.

"The land question is central to achieving reconciliation. How do we have peace and stability when the land is not resolved?

"If we go the Zimbabwe route then it will be a problem," said Zuma.

"We are not saying let us now go and take the land. We are saying let us amend the constitution."