Valuer-general pledges not to favour the state in land restitution
SA’s first valuer-general has moved to allay private sector fears that his office will favour the state when determining prices for properties identified for land restitution. Christopher Gavor was appointed in May 2015 as the country’s first valuer-general and his office was established in 2014 after the Property Valuation Act was signed into law. Although set up as a separate entity, the office reports to the minister of rural development and land reform. The office is seen as crucial in ensuring that the government’s land reform programme runs smoothly, but there are concerns that the valuer-general will invariably come up with prices that are favourable to the state. Gavor said: "People will have confidence in valuers if things are done professionally. The office is not a government entity — it’s a public entity ... a professional body. "It is important it is not seen as a government mechanism to deal with land reform." He was speaking at a seminar organised by the University of...
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