Racial Tensions Escalate in South Africa Following New Land Reform Legislation
Alex Blackburn | 31 January 2025
Summary
South Africa’s new law permits land expropriation without compensation, aiming to address historic dispossession but sparked racial tensions.
Opposition parties and protests reveal divisions over the law, with opposing calls for caution or more radical reforms.
The law could empower black South Africans if implemented well but heighten social and economic risks if mismanaged.
South Africa’s aim to resolve historic land ownership disparities has taken a controversial turn with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new land reform legislation. The law allows land expropriation without compensation in cases deemed "just and equitable" and "in the public interest," such as unused or hazardous land. This marks a significant shift from the "willing seller, willing buyer" model of the 1975 Expropriation Act. The law seeks to address the lingering economic disparity rooted in apartheid, where black South Africans were dispossessed of their land. Despite three decades of democracy, black South Africans own only a small fraction of the country’s farmland, with just 10% redistributed through previous land reform programs.
However, the legislation has deepened racial tensions. The white minority still owns most of the commercial farmland and sees the law as a threat to private property. Advocacy groups like Afriforum have drawn comparisons to Zimbabwe's chaotic land seizures orchestrated in the early 2000’s, while the Freedom Front Plus has pledged to challenge the law’s constitutionality. Meanwhile, black South Africans, primarily supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), view the law as insufficient. The EFF calls it a "legislative cop-out" and has demanded more aggressive measures, including nationalisation and direct land redistribution.
The introduction of the new law increased social tensions. Protests and attempted land occupations, with one instance in Johannesburg, illustrate the growing desperation of marginalised communities from poverty and inequality. Black South Africans view land ownership as a pathway to economic empowerment. For many, the slow pace of economic reform since the end of apartheid has fueled bitterness toward the perceived wealth of the white minority. The polarisation extends to the policymaking level, with the governing coalition, the Freedom Front Plus and the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) raising concerns about the constitutionality and economic risks of the legislation. Conversely, the African National Congress (ANC) faces pressure from the EFF to accelerate reforms
While some analysts expressed cautious optimism about increased collaboration between business and government, the policy’s perceived unpredictability has already drawn comparisons to Zimbabwe's disastrous land reform. If mismanaged, the reform could deter investment and harm agricultural production.
However, successful implementation could address historical injustices and promote economic inclusion for millions of black South Africans. Achieving this balance requires careful, transparent execution and continued dialogue among stakeholders. Failure to deliver tangible results risks fueling further racial tensions and political instability.
ITU Pictures/Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0
Forecast
Short-term
Tensions within the ANC-DA coalition government will most likely persist while South Africa’s parliament ratifies this new land reform. These internal divisions could lead to prolonged debates and delays, further fueling public frustration and potentially destabilising the coalition.
Long-term
If the new land reform is not executed as planned, it will likely heighten racial tensions and result in social unrest as fears of economic instability and property insecurity grow.