Mchunu: Trump's claims of govt-sponsored land grabs unfounded & unsubstantiated

JOHANNESBURG - The police ministry has hit back at US President Donald Trump, saying there were no government-sponsored land grabs from white people. 

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said that while there were several land invasions across the country, they were illegal and not endorsed by either law enforcement or the government.

The minister presented the police statistics for the fourth quarter, covering 1 January to 31 March. 

At a recent meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump made baseless claims that the South African government was seizing land from white farmers. 

"You do allow them to take land, and then when they take the land, they kill the white farmer and nothing happens to them," Trump claimed.

Mchunu said that unequal access to land had led to people building houses on privately owned vacant land.

He said that land invasions were not the same as land grabs.

"There are no land grabbings from rightful owners in the country. It's an unfounded and unsubstantiated allegation."

Mchunu said that police were taking the issue of land invasions seriously.