Land reform: Hungry ghosts

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South Africa could learn about speedy land reform from its neighbour Zimbabwe, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Wednesday.

"We've got lessons to learn from Zimbabwe -- how to do it fast," she told an African distance-education conference in Pretoria.

There is a general complaint in South Africa that land reform is too slow, too structured and "that we need a bit of an oomph".

"So, we might want some skills exchange between us and Zimbabwe, to get some of their colleagues to help us here with that," the deputy president told delegates with a smile -- to muted laughter.

....The Democratic Alliance questioned the wisdom of Mlambo-Ngcuka's pronouncement at the education conference.

"Surely Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is joking," it said in a statement.

"The lesson for our country lies in not following the same route which Zimbabwe has taken. Zimbabwe offers a textbook example of ways in which land reform should not be carried out."....