Economics Correspondent

GOVERNMENT has allocated an additional R700m over the next two years to the land affairs department for land reform and restitution, chiefly aimed at speeding up the return of land to families dispossessed under past discriminatory policies.

Government made a commitment to spend R5bn over a five year period to

2006-07 to conclude the restitution process.

Leslie Magagula, chief director of the national treasury's economic services, said yesterday that the additional allocations were aimed at accelerating restitution. "(The additional allocation) is for speeding up the restitution programme and settling the outstanding claims.

"It is specific to restitution," said Magagula.

New figures released in the budget review show that R2,5bn has been spent on land reform since 1994, with almost 3-million hectares of land transferred to about 700 000 households.

"The quality of the projects has also improved, with more land for conservation, forestry and ecotourism being delivered to emerging agriculturalists following the introduction of the land reform and agricultural development programme in 2002," the review states.

Almost half of the land transferred to blacks since 1994 has been through the land redistribution programme, with the restitution process comprising 19,8%, or 571 232 ha, of land transferred.

The department's allocation will increase from R1,8bn in 200405 to R2,6bn in 2006-07.

Feb 19 2004 07:48:49:000AM Nasreen Seria Business Day 1st Edition