South-Africa on a dangerous track!
Land Expropriation without compensation, this is the news that seems to have finally garnered the world's attention, at least a little bit. This week saw our parliament voting overwhelmingly for this bill introduced by the EFF, that will give way to the confiscation of land simply based on the colour of your skin.
This is a major Human Rights abuse that needs much more global attention...
What does Land Expropriation mean?
This Bill is claimed by the EFF to be an answer to "right historical grievances" committed by colonial powers centuries ago. This will be done by the forceful confiscation of land from specifically white South-Africans, without any kind of compensation.
As it stands, 73% of farms in South-Africa are owned by white farmers. Agriculture also accounts for nearly 70% of our domestic income. These farmers are also responsible for the supply of the local population for food.
By taking this land, the outcome promises to be quite dismal as the process will usually take years in legal battles to finalise, in which case the farm will most likely see a drop in production. Best case scenario, the farm is immediately managed by someone competent and might start producing again. But history has shown us how corruption and cronyism will hold this process up even more.
What is more, past experience has also shown us the results of farms being expropriated. Rooibos, a tea that is very famous in South-Africa and sought after globally, has seen a massive 73% drop in production after the previous round of land claims.
The Legal Challenge.
As it is right now, our Constitution does make allowances for the legal expropriation of land but with appropriate compensation. The willing buyer, willing seller concept. As far as the legality is concerned, this is not a terrible system as it does allow the government to take land to be given over, as long as there is compensation. Ironically, the only province that has seen this used effectively is the Western Cape, run by the DA.
So far, the government has only handed over a quarter of the land it has claimed, raising the question of who is utilising it?
Doomed to fail!
This is not the first time in history that we see such radically idiotic attempts by the government to forcefully implement ideology on a population. Communist Russia and the USSR implemented similar land confiscation measures that subsequently led to the deaths by starvation of 30 Million people. Similar policies were pursued in Maoist China that led to the subsequent deaths of about 80 Million people! Venezuela is only the latest fallen country to have pursued these policies!
History does not seem to mean anything to our government as they are now hell-bent on pursuing these policies but the people that are at risk of having there land taken sure do! If these policies do come to fruition, a promise has already arisen amongst the farmers of South-Africa. They will resist! They will not just hand it over! This is a recipe for civil war and potentially genocide.
-Photo by artist Ralph Ziman, Please see more here http://arttimes.co.za/south-african-artist-shines-light-dangers-arms-dealing-stunning-photos/
Sins of the father...
In conclusion, I would like to give my personal opinion and response to this. I still love my country and do not wish for it to deteriorate and extinguish itself in a civil war, theft and murder. I still maintain hope for our country and hope against odds that this will resolve peacefully. That said, the bill is very vague in its current interpretation. It does not provide any clarity on what land may be taken.
Does this mean that my parents' house can be taken away? Does this mean they can claim the apartment I live in? If that is the case, as a white South-African, I will not lie down and let others steal from me! If it should come to it, I would rather burn it to the ground and destroy everything on the land. They can have the land but they have no right to what my ancestors did with the land!
Please interact with me on this one! This is a very contentious issue and I would appreciate any feedback. And be so kind as to Resteem if you think this deserves to be seen...
Most would prefer education and employment, not many yearn to farm was what I read in a recent article (cannot remember the URL) I do however prefer to use this site who do check on the facts, wrong or right https://africacheck.org/reports/do-40000-whites-own-80-of-sa-the-claim-is-incorrect/
Oh, I agree! Knowledge and the ability to generate income is always more important to most, but this has become a political selling point for the ANC and EFF.
Facts need to be substantiated before this process could proceed, it is part of the Constitution.
Rightful land certification would have to be thoroughly investigated before being processed. Both the ANC and EFF are using old tactics that have been researched over the years (as in the link I put above will reflect), it goes back prior to the past couple of years.
Should the land be 'grabbed' what would happen if say Sandton or Pretoria high street was proven to be tribal land, how would they be able to take this established land to redistribute?
Too many grey areas, 'Fitas' and 'District 6', both illegal land grabs under the apartheid era, people should be housed adequately now if proven to have lost their homes then, that is fair practice IMHO.
If a farmer has had a family living on the land for the past 100 years assisting in farming that land, surely it would not be too big a price to pay to offer 10% of the land to the worker to farm, in that way assisting someone to become self sustained as a land owner. (Just thinking aloud)
A well researched article. Yes, expropriation without compensation actually makes no sense whatsoever. The people claiming the land, do not do it because they want to farm. I believe that it might be that it is a kind of revenge they are seeking after Apartheid.
I was thinking, instead of giving a huge piece of land away, farmers should petition for keeping their own piece, while sharing smaller pieces of land with those who want to farm so badly. If they do what they are supposed to do, in other words, farming and supplying food to the market, then great! If they don't do that, the land should be expropriated again and given to another family. In this way, our beautiful farms of the past will not lie fallow, and our market could be enriched.
However, I do not think the people with the claims have any leg to stand on. Most of them are just as new to our country than we are. We did not steal land from their ancestors. We conquered a wild land that belonged to no-one!
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