20100529
press tv

South African President Jacob Zuma says the country's Black majority has not benefited from post-apartheid land reform programs due to poor management and legislation.

Speaking in the South African Parliament on Thursday, Zuma said the land reform program currently being implemented is not sustainable, Reuters reported.

After apartheid ended in 1994, the government drew up a plan to transfer over 30 percent of commercial farm lands to the Black majority by 2014.

"They (the land reform programs) have not provided the anticipated socioeconomic benefits to all the recipients of the programs… [and] this is the result of institutional weaknesses in overall land management, policy and legislation," Zuma added.

Zuma stated that the government is finalizing a land reform policy and a Land Tenure Bill to protect the rights of farm workers, landowners, and farm dwellers.

Since 1994, the South African government has been unable to hand over large tracts of farmland to Black farmers due to lack of funds to buy land. As a result, only 6 percent of agricultural lands have been transferred to the Black majority.