Yesterday’s question session in Parliament demonstrated that President Cyril Ramaphosa and the African National Congress(ANC) are confused about land reform.
Ramaphosa conveniently forgot to address the failed ANC record on land reform over the past 24 years. It is clear that he and the ANC have no interest in confronting the real challenges and barriers to land reform, instead opting for expropriation without compensation, which will fix nothing.
In the continued policy uncertainty, Ramaphosa finally acceded to the DA’s long held policy that has been that private ownership of land is crucial in the transfer of land to black South Africans.
Ownership provides dignity, security, the ability to secure loans and finally to build intergenerational wealth. Ownership and assistance is especially important for emerging farmers to ensure they are successful.
Because the ANC is being led by the EFF on this, they are unable to provide clear leadership on this matter. Instead, Ramaphosa could not provide assurance to the people of South Africa that they will indeed be owners of their land, instead of permanent tenants.
The ANC continues to doggedly hold on to state land prime for land reform. The ANC’s current land reform programme only leases land to beneficiaries and the ANC has failed to provide people in communal areas with proper tenure security.
If the ANC was committed to ensuring effective land reform to restore ownership of land to black South Africans, there are steps they would take immediately, instead of playing games with the futures of millions.
These include the following:
- The ANC must immediately cede all the 4300 farms under the custodianship to beneficiaries and change the official policy of the party so that beneficiaries do not rent for life;
- The government must fulfill their Constitutional mandate to provide secure tenure to the nearly 18 million people living in communal land. They, not government, must own the land they live on;
- State owned land that is fit for purposes such as housing must be released immediately. The Department of Public Works alone owns 1.9 million hectares that is unutilised and has only committed to release less than 1% of this land;
- All housing beneficiaries must receive title deeds immediately. The DA has already delivered nearly 100 000 title deeds and will continue to so where we govern.
Land Reform without the transfer of ownership does not address the unequal racial and gender ownership patterns in South Africa.
The ANC must stop taking the lead from their policy directorate; Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) and must embark on a process of real land reform that will truly benefit the people.