EDITORIAL: Decoding the ANC’s land grab folly
If the ANC wants real land reform it should start with land that is unaccounted for
Government’s latest land audit, dated November 2017, reveals some chilling statistics about the ownership of land, mirroring the historical ownership patterns of the country. It shows that white people own 26.6m ha of the 37m ha of land that is classified as farms and agricultural holdings. That is 72% of the total under private ownership, described as land owned by individuals, trusts, companies and community-based organisations. Coloureds and Indians own 15% and 5%, respectively, while "other" has 3% of the farmlands. This refers to foreign owners of land in SA. Africans, who make up over 80% of the population, own about 4% of the land, shows the report, released on February 5 this year. This 4% holding is the equivalent of 1.3m ha of all the land in private ownership. This is the number that fills political radicals and opportunists with rage, which some have used to justify the need to expropriate land without compensation. But this is not the full story. For full information, t...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.