Land reform system faces collapse without radical overhaul
There have been a number of promising black farmers who have been thrown under the bus.
The South African government's push for the Expropriation Bill clashes with the ongoing seizure of land from black farmers who were among the first to benefit from land restitution programs. Afasa, the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa, is taking legal action to stop the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development from evicting current landholders from certain farms and subsequently putting them up for sale or leasing.
These lands were initially allocated to the beneficiaries as part of land reform deals initiated after 1994, but the program has largely been unsuccessful. Afasa points out that although beneficiaries were granted 30-year leases, they were not provided with title deeds, making it difficult for them to secure loans from financial institutions.
Since agriculture heavily relies on borrowing, many farmers, both successful and struggling, depend on these loans to sustain their operations from planting to harvest. Furthermore, Afasa argues that the department has failed to provide adequate support. In one instance, "mentors" – likely former farmers or finance experts – were brought in to manage the farming operations, often disregarding the input of the original beneficiaries.
Consequently, some beneficiaries have ended up with no assets, a debt of R8 million, and no means to continue farming. The failure of this land reform system has fueled racist narratives suggesting that only white individuals possess the capability to farm. To prevent the collapse of the entire land reform system, a comprehensive overhaul is urgently needed.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
