EDITORIAL: Land grabs won’t heal deeper problem
Ramaphosa must draw up a blueprint for how he expects an expropriation regime to work
Land reform is a deeply emotional issue in SA, but it is not as intractable a problem as many others — such as crime, unemployment and poor education. But in recent days, it seems the issue is spinning out of control, as the country has witnessed a number of disturbing land invasions. In the southern Cape town of Hermanus, an attempted land grab was quashed with 25 people arrested over the weekend. There were similar thwarted invasions in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Political opportunists, like Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters, say this trend shows the need for government to fast-track expropriation without compensation. So let’s look at land ownership. Of the 122mha of land in SA, 94mha is private land, and 28mha is state-owned land. These land grabs, however, have been taking place in urban areas, where the majority of citizens are jostling for a small slice of the 3.2mha in these regions — which amounts to just 2.6% of SA’s land mass. Research by the Institute of Race ...
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.