As the ANC prepares legislative changes to speed up land reform, the government has identified the first 139 farms to be expropriated. Party insiders who attended the two-day lekgotla of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) last week, the ANC’s highest decision-making body gave details of the legislative plans and the expropriation ‘guinea pig’ scheme, says a Sunday Times report. In addition to pushing for an amendment to section 25 of the Constitution to allow for expropriation without compensation, the ANC’s plans include:

* Drafting a land records Bill aimed at documenting all landowners, both formal and informal, and ensuring security of tenure.

* Drafting a redistribution Bill that would provide a framework for deciding who gets priority access to land once the reform programme rolls out.

* Amending the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act to recognise those who have lived on a property for three years or more as de facto owners who cannot be dispossessed without their consent.

The meeting was told that the Department of Rural Development & Land Reform had identified 139 farms across the country that would serve as test cases. Details about these farms, including whether they are occupied or productive, could not be established, notes the report. There are also moves to prioritise rapid land releases for urban housing across the country. These plans are all expected to be carried out before the end of December.

Full Sunday Times report (subscription needed)