I Had a Farm in (South) Africa

Historical Background and Magnitude of the Land Question in Contemporary South Africa

Abstract

Politicians all around the world prefer to overrate the magnitude of agriculture for gaining political advantage. For historical reasons this is not so the case in South Africa where land ownership remains a deeply emotional issue. Since the beginning of European colonization, first Dutch, later British, land was expropriated from native peoples. This policy became a cornerstone of colonial rule. The striking discrepancy in land allocation between white settlers and Africans was sealed by a land act passed in 1913. That act prohibited Africans to buy land outside native reserves that made up only less than 13 per cent of the country. From 1913 to 1994 the non-white South Africans were not able to find an acceptable-to-all solution over the land issues. Reclaiming the lost land became an important cry for liberation movements. The African National Congress (ANC) and other liberation movements promised black Africans that once they seize power, radical land reform would be the first item on their political agenda. After the collapse of apartheid in 1994 the ANC introduced such a programme: land redistribution, land restitution and tenure reform. Yet, these have failed to resolve the land question. This ended up causing a stalemate. The willingbuyer, willing-seller policy proved to be problematic. Land restitution has been very slow and the tenure reform is also facing legal, constitutional and cultural challenges. The land reform incites innovative approaches and broader debates within the South African society.