A short video warning customary landowners about the government’s intention to use the National Land Summit to spark a new land grab has been viewed more than 13,000 times in less than a fortnight.

Produced by ACT NOW!, the video explains how the Land Summit will lead to commercial banks and foreign companies being given more access to customary land. This is in response to the government being forced to stop the issuing of new SABL leases.

Lands Minister Justin Tkatchenko has been trying to reassure landowners the government’s intention is not to take their land, but that is simply untrue. 

The government’s own 2019 budget statement clearly states the National Land Summit is part of an agenda to ‘facilitate the registration of customary land for commercial use’.

This agenda is being backed by international institutions like the World Bank.

The Bank has also been trying to claim it is not advocating for the privatisation of customary land, but the truth can be seen in black and white in its own documents.

We also know that Tkatchenko has been meeting with the commercial banks since at least January 2018 to discuss ways to make customary land available as collateral for loans.

The Minister and foreign actors like to try and treat us as fools, but they are stupid if they think we cannot see through their lies and misinformation.