South Africa land commission suspends land purchases due to lack of funds.

Text of report by influential, privately-owned South African daily Business Day website on 27 August

The Land Claims Commission has placed a moratorium on buying land under claim until money can be found to bail it out.

"There will be no new sale agreements signed until the money comes," chief land claims commissioner Blessing Mphela told Business Day yesterday.

"Willing sellers who want quick decisions need to know there is no money to pay them."

The commission's cash crunch comes as a recession is forcing the government to scale down spending while facing often violent demands to ramp up service delivery. Restitution for apartheid forced …