Visiting UK PM Theresa May Gives Speech In South Africa, Supports Land Reform

Theresa May

Theresa May, the UK prime minister, has given her speech in Cape Town, saying that she regards the countries she’s visiting this week – South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya - as key partners and thriving democracies, typical of 21st Century Africa.

She pointed to the fact that five of the fast-growing economies were in African and the GDP of the continent was set to double between 2015 and 2030.

By 2050 a quarter of the world’s population and the world’s consumers would live on the continent, she said.

However, some of world’s poorest people were in Africa too, so achieving inclusive growth was a challenge, she added.

African leaders have told her the greatest challenge they face is creating jobs.

She says she’s proposing a new partnership with African, one built around on shared prosperity.

She announced plans for a £4bn ($5.1bn) programme of UK investment in Africa's economies – to be matched by a similar amount by the private sector.

She also said:

- The UK would be back getting a permanent presence for Africa on the UN Security Council.

- The UK would give back huge sums of money illegally taken from Kenya.

- The UK would be opening new embassies in Chad and Niger.

The main thrust of her speech was that the UK’s investment on the continent, while not as big as other nations, would be over the long-term.

Britain supports South Africa's land reform programme provided it is carried out legally, Prime Minister Theresa May said in Cape Town. Picture: Reuters/Mike Hutchings

After her speech in Cape Town, British Prime Minister was asked by a journalist about the plans for land reform in South Africa.

Last month, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government would go ahead with plans to amend the constitution, allowing land to be expropriated without compensation.

It prompted a tweet on Friday from US President Donald Trump, referring to land seizures and the killing of farmers, which South Africa’s government said was “misinformed”.

Mrs May said she welcomed Mr Ramaphosa’s assurances that there would not be land grabbing and that any land reform would be done in legal way.

"The UK has for some time now supported land reforms, land reform that is legal, that is transparent, that is generated through a democratic process. It's an issue that I have raised and discussed with President Ramaphosa when he was in London earlier this year - I'll be talking to him about it later today.

"But I welcome the comments that he has already made as approaching land reform, bearing in mind the economic and social consequences and he has made reference to 'no smash and grab' land reform."





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