Radical land reform in South Africa - a comparative perspective?
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Date
2017
Authors
Jankielsohn, R.
Duvenhage, A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State
Abstract
A great deal of political rhetoric has been uttered regarding radical
economic transformation that includes calls for more radical land
reform proposals. This rhetoric is the source of political mobilisation
in both the governing African National Congress (ANC), as well as
the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) opposition. While the ANC
call for the end of the willing buyer, willing seller principle in land
reform policies and legislation in line with their National Democratic
Revolution (NDR), the EFF support a more extreme expropriation
without compensation approach. Both these approaches can be
regarded as forms of radical land reform that are grounded in their
specific ideological orientations. Since no academic definition exists
regarding the concept “radical land reform”, it is necessary that this is
conceptualised. In order to analyse the possible implications of radical
land reform, this article explores the outcomes of similar approaches
in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the former Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (USSR) and Zimbabwe. The lessons of this
comparative analysis indicate that land reform requires a balance
between existing land rights and food security on the one hand, and
the urgency for historical redress and redistribution on the other.
Description
Keywords
Radical land reform, National Democratic Revolution (NDR), African National Congress (ANC), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), People’s Republic of China (PRC), Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Zimbabwe, Food security, Redistribution, Land reform
Citation
Jankielsohn, R., & Duvenhage, A. (2017) Radical land reform in South Africa - a comparative perspective? Journal for Contemporary History, 42(2), 1-23.