It is beyond disputing that South Africa’s past – like in many parts of the world – is one of unjust dispossession of property from its rightful owners.
Land reform appears more an ideological imperative for the political elite, than an issue of concern for the population.
when a property owner is lawfully expropriated.
to fully prosecute its land reform agenda, while paying owners their deserved market-based compensation. The supposed fear of market-based compensation is a matter of political expediency, not true fiscal constraint. Perhaps most notable is the fact that, since the state’s redistribution programme began, the government has acquired some 2.5 million hectares of land (i.e. in addition to what the state already owned) and held it. This is a growing number, and amounts to a landmass about the size of Gauteng Province. The political elite, therefore, hoards land under state ownership whilst decrying the lack of an equitable distribution of land among the peoples of South Africa.
of domestic constitutional tradition, but as a matter of geopolitical importance, which is why a clear commitment to secure private property is an eligibility requirement under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In response to this incredible misstep by the Government of National Unity (GNU), the Free Market Foundation (FMF) unveiled its report, Constitutional Land Reform: Alternatives to Confiscation and Land Retribution , in August 2025. This report is part of the FMF’s Liberty First initiative that seeks to place fundamental policy reform on the agenda of the GNU. Political theatre It is beyond disputing that South Africa’s past – like in many parts of the world
Even then, the land reform budget allocation for 2025/26 was only some R5 billion, compared to the some R12 billion allocated for the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. Whereas much rhetorical ado is made by the political elite about land reform, they do not put (our) money where their mouths are. Furthermore, with the money South Africa’s fiscus loses to corruption alone, government could have purchased most agricultural land in the country on the open market (i.e. with compensation) many times over. Between 2014 and 2019, this amount was estimated around R1.5 trillion. In February 2025, it was reported that the Unemployment Insurance Fund alone paid out approximately R57 billion in fraudulent claims. This goes to show that there is no shortage of funds within the government ecosystem
Despite this, research conducted by the South African Institute of Race Relations periodically over more than two decades, reveals that land reform is one of the least important priorities for ordinary South Africans, with the polls being demographically representative. The latest survey was conducted in December 2024, and reveals that only 1% of respondents picked land reform as one of their two most important issues. There is no ‘hunger for land’, as South African politicians often would wish society to believe there is. Land reform, in other words, appears more an ideological imperative for the political elite, than an issue of concern for the population.
– is one of unjust dispossession of property from its rightful owners. The socialist African National Congress (ANC) and its allies have made much ado about land reform to redress these injustices. “Correcting inequitable patterns of ownership” has been a key item of political discourse and policy, with it arguably reaching its climax with the parliamentary decision of February 2018 to amend section 25 of the Constitution to undo the right to compensation
...with the money South Africa’s fiscus loses to corruption alone, government could have purchased most agricultural land in the country on the open market many times over.
Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters is one of the worst purveyors of the ‘land hunger’ myth to justify destructive policies. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The South African government has added over two million hectares of rural land to its property portfolio without transferring it in ownership to civilians. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.
October 2025 | Issue 141 | Asset Magazine 321
320 Asset Magazine | Issue 141 | October 2025
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