The South African government is not only going accelerate its land reform and to review the willing buyer, willing seller principle, but will also expropriate several white–owned farms from next month. The ministry of agriculture and land affairs will this year review the willing-buyer willing-seller policy; review land acquisition models and possible manipulation of land prices (by white owners) and regulate conditions under which foreigners buy land, President Thabo Mbeki announced in his state of the nation address last Friday during the opening ceremony of Parliament in Cape Town. "This will be done in line with international norms and practices", he said. But this week Tozi Gwanya, South Africa’s chief land claims commissioner, said next month would be the start of large-scale expropriations of land from white farmers after years of fruitless compensation negotiations. By 2014, the government wants one third of white-owned land changed into black ownership. So far, 16% of the land was transferred.

The chief executive officer of Meatco is leaving next months after 11 years at the helm of Namibia’s most successful beef exporting company. Having been with Meatco for almost 18 years, Phillip Stofberg said he did not regret his decision, although he did not even have a concrete job offer so far. He steered Meatco through difficult times and transformed it into a modern company branding Namibian beef and mutton internationally. It is not known who his successor will be, but sources in the meat industry say that the next CEO would possibly hail from the black economic empowerment (BEE) ranks.

The Namibian parliament will start proceedings on 14 February after the summer recess. At least 12 bills have been drafted and will be introduced in the National Assembly. They are inter alia a bill to combat the abuse of drugs, an amendment to the law on casinos and gambling houses, a new electricity bill, the finance intelligence bill, one on telecommunications, the planning bill, one on bio safety, the administration of estates, a bill on sectional titles and another on industrial property. The existing law on wills and testaments will also be changed and the land ministry will introduce the flexible land tenure bill.

President Hifikepunye Pohamba will open the session at 14h30, live broadcast via radio and televisions starts at 14h00. The event can also be watched on a large screen in the Zoo Park.