Following an intensive campaign by civil society organisations and community groups the National Exceutive Council has passed a resolution ordering more than 4 million hectares of land be returned to its customary owners.
A Commission of Inquiry had found that Special Agriculture and Business Leases had been used by foreign companies and unscrupulous Lands Department officials to illegally gain access to more than 5 million hectares of customary land, mainly for logging, but for more than a year the government stalled on acting on the Commission recommendations.
You can find more details about the SABL land grab and the latest developments on our dedicated SABL Blog