South Africa’s land panel finally produced its report at the end of July. At 144 pages it’s an impressive document, making all the right noises. South Africa, like Zimbabwe, left the land issue for too long. 25 years after freedom, at least now a serious move is being made in South Africa.
After unsuccessfully trying for more than 22 years to lay claim to a portion of SA’s most expensive and prestigious school, labour tenants from the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands are one step closer to becoming land owners.
Former Zimbabwean deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara has warned South Africa against implementing a chaotic approach in the expropriation of land calling on them to learn from their northern neighbours.
Said Mutambara at a presentation at Rhodes University:
The Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture released its final report recently which expresses support for expropriation without compensation in certain circumstances.
Chairperson Vuyokazi Mahlati highlighted the need to come up with a solution to the issue of land in SA as soon as possible.
Cape Town - An expert advisory panel on land reform and agriculture appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year has released a final report with recommendations. It also gave the go-ahead for a constitutional amendment for expropriation of land without compensation, but with strict conditions.
As climate change and population growth bring more water scarcity, drought-hit villages are are adapting - but conflict over limited water is growing
Land redistribution through just and equitable means remains contentious in the South African political and judicial landscape. Under the apartheid rule, the distribution of land was aligned to race, with the minority white population allocated about 90% of arable and habitable land, while the majority black population was allocated the minute remainder, mainly in the homelands.
Land ownership and income inequality remain highly emotive subjects more than two decades after the end of apartheid in South Africa
Some traditional leaders continue with the old ways of regarding women as minors who need to be represented by men, Inyanda National Land Movement says.