Ido lekota

Ido lekota

The ANC and its alliance partners Cosatu and the SACP have called for a moratorium on the sale of government land for the development of golf courses and game farms.

The call came out of a three-day economic summit of the alliance partners held at the weekend to look at ways of improving economic development.

Yesterday, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said SA could not afford a situation where land was used for luxuries instead of agriculture.

This point of view is in line with a proposal from the summit that there must be a policy geared towards increasing food production and safeguarding food security.

"We cannot continue to have a situation where South Africa is a net importer of food, Mantashe said."

Mantashe said the move by the Department of Land Affairs and Agriculture to stop foreigners from owning land would not be effective unless the land was used for food production.

Another summit proposal is that children aged between 15 and 18 from poor families should be included in the government child support grant from next year.

The summit also called for the establishment of a department of social security. Also proposed is a basic income grant linked to a skills development programme and a flat rate for unemployed workers after their unemployment insurance fund has expired.

ANC economic policy head Max Sisulu said the objective of the summit was to come up with policies that will address poverty, the increasing financial inequalities and the high level of unemployment.