Land Matters

South Africa’s Failed Land Reforms and the Road Ahead

De: Tembeka Ngcukaitobi

Narrado por: Lungile Lallie

Why has land reform been such a failure in South Africa? Will expropriation without compensation solve the problem? What can be done to get the land programme back on track?

In his new book, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi tackles these questions and more. Going back in history, he shows how Africans’ communal land ownership was used by colonial rulers to deny that Africans owned the land at all. He explores the effect of the Land Acts, Bantustans and forced removals. And he considers the ANC’s policies on land throughout the 20th century, during the negotiations of the 1990s, and in government.

Land Matters unpacks developments in land redistribution, restitution and tenure reform, and makes suggestions for what needs to be done in future. The book also considers the power of chiefs, the tension between communal land ownership and the desire for private title, the failure of the willing-buyer, willing-seller approach, women and land reform, the role of banks, and the debates around amending the Constitution.

Thoughtful and provocative, Land Matters sheds light on one of the most complex questions in South Africa today.

©2021 Tembeka Ngcukaitobi (P)2021 Penguin Random House South Africa

The Ice Breaker to the Elephant in the Room

To many the subject of land is an uncomfortable and difficult conversation. I love that this book brings this difficult and contentious discussion to the table.

It also sheds light on the fact that it is no accident that the possession of land ended up so disproportionately in the hands of South Africa’s white minority.

It’s a well written and in my opinion rather concise approach to an issue that in recent years has threaten to tear apart the unity of our nation. It is for this reason that this books is so important.

My only problem with this book is it does not seem to layout what a complete and meaningful restoration of land would entail. How much land would have to be restored until we have succeeded in land reform? Furthermore who is the “we”, the land debate still suffered from the fact that even if land was granted back, us the ordinary black men and women will undoubtedly not be a part of the beneficiaries but only a new minority of blacks. Hence I’m somewhat disappointed by the fact that the book seems to layout how land will be transferred from one minority (a white minority) to a new minority (a black minority). The book makes the argument that land reform is necessary to correct historical injustices however it’s not convincing in arguing that this would actually bring about a better quality of life for the masses. Hence I think ultimately the book fails to really hit the issue at the heart - the living conditions of the majority of people in this country is not dignified. And although land is central to that there’s little said about how land redistribution could actually achieve that.

It’s a sincere effort and a good one and you can see a lot of its ideas have been used in the ANC’s new 2024 land expropriation act, and there’s nothing wrong with that. This book is important to understanding how we got to where we are. It does a fantastic job at laying out not just the story of how land dispossession happened in South Africa but also the rippling negative effect it has had on black communities.

It is however not a definitive work. More thought needs to be given as to how we can redress this. Land expropriation might not even be the answer as difficult as it is for some people to hear that. Simply because land is valuable to people not intrinsically but because of the possibilities of what can be done with it. And when majority or a substantial majority of people would only want land to reside on you have to wonder whether or not our fight for land is not rather a fight for dignified property?

Good book would recommend but definitely not the final solution to the “problem of the ages”

Wow!

One of the best books I have ever read!!!!

A long overdue masterpiece and Masterclass produced by a genius.

The Land is Ours

Can we also get 'The Land is Ours' on audible please? This is a great work. Thanks and well done Advocate.

Banks need to join the land expropriation party

I'm happy that thus book dived into the uncomfortable topic of how the banks will be affected by land expropriation
Though no definite answer was provided; I sure appreciated the suggestions which need a national debate

South African banks need to give their position/proposal on expropriation of land with/without compensation