Land reform – Ramaphosa

*

It was stated by Ramaphosa that the Cabinet on 31 October 2019 was determined to shortly finalise its consideration of the recommendations on land reform for the process to proceed at a faster rate.   He said the government was committed to the acceleration of land reform as it is essential for the transformation of society.  He mentioned that the advisory panel has produced several far-reaching recommendations to ensure that the “correct the skewed distribution of land in the country”, a necessary precondition to the objective of reducing inequality in the country, and the Cabinet still needs to finalise its deliberations on the findings and recommendations of the panel.    The panel found that the mechanism of land expropriation without compensation was one of a range of methods that could be used to acquire land for land reform.     Ramaphosa called on government to immediately identify well-located and unused or under-utilised land and buildings for urban settlement, and to prioritise poor tenants for upgrading their rights.

Ramaphosa was “confident” Africa has the potential to grow its economy and said South Africa was well-placed to make use of the opportunities a free trade area could provide.

https://lowvelder.co.za/lnn/832901/expropriating-land-is-vital-for-economy-cyril-ramaphosa/?fbclid=IwAR17_QqNlUlBir3Qd35kiPvEVacvSwgdfV2Vz5DaOVxuH3MszyPZMWeh58o

*

A free trade area is a grouping of countries within which tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers between the members are generally abolished but with no common trade policy toward non-members. The North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are examples of free trade areas.

Free trade is the unrestricted importing and exporting of goods and services between countries.  Today, most industrialized nations take part in hybrid free trade agreements (FTAs), negotiated multinational pacts which allow for, but regulate tariffs, quotas, and other trade restrictions

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a treaty entered into by the United States, Canada, and Mexico; it went into effect on January 1, 1994. (Free trade had existed between the U.S. and Canada since 1989; NAFTA broadened that arrangement.)

The European Free Trade Association, abbreviated as EFTA, is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1960 by seven European countries to promote free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its Member States. All original signatories except Norway and Switzerland withdrew from EFTA upon joining the European Union (EU), as did Finland which had become an associate member in 1961 and full member in 1986. As Iceland joined in 1970 and Liechtenstein in 1991 EFTA currently has four Member States.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Glossary:European_Free_Trade_Association_(EFTA)

The African Union has launched the operational phase of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will be the world’s largest free trade area by number of countries once it’s fully up and running.

After years of talks, the goal is to establish a single market for goods and services across 54 countries, allow the free movement of business travellers and investments, and create a continental customs union to streamline trade – and attract long-term investment.

The agreement is seen critical for growth and job creation for Africa and its 1.27 billion people. Clinching Nigeria’s agreement and moving into the operational phase this July was a significant step.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/africa-just-launched-the-world-s-largest-free-trade-area/