Land Reform in South Africa

Abstract

For the past two to three decades, since the transition to democracy, policy orientation in South Africa has predominantly been centred on redressing the inequalities and legacies of the apartheid regime. This was broadly defined as social justice, with the land question often treated as a highly state-centric matter reserved for government, until Julius Malema became president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and then leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). This article explores some of the dominant narratives around the land question in post-apartheid South Africa and presents some recommendations on how the issue of land should be dealt with in the immediate future.