Analysis: ‘We will not allow land grabs’
by Milton Nkosi, BBC News, Johannesburg
The Australian home affairs minister’s comments will send shockwaves of anger out amongst many South Africans.
The idea that white South Africans are under siege from their black counterparts in a democratic state is preposterous – that’s the reaction from many here.
This offer by the Australian politician has already been severely criticised by South Africa’s international affairs department.
A case of a white family seeking asylum, on the basis that they were persecuted for being white in a majority black country, was rejected in 2017 by the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).
What’s more, President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament on Wednesday afternoon there would be no land grabs.
In his first question-and-answer session since taking over from Jacob Zuma, he said: “We will not allow land grabs. We will not allow land invasion – because it is illegal. It begins to violate rights of other South African citizens.”
The issue of land ownership in South Africa has been an increasingly fraught topic: almost 75% of its farmland is still in white hands more than two decades after South Africa’s ruling ANC first took power from the white minority government.
White South Africans make up less than 10% of the overall population.
The land expropriation without compensation motion, which was brought forward by the radical left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, seeks to change the constitution to allow for it.
The motion was backed by a majority of MPs in February but it is not clear when or if a vote will take place on the issue. A two-thirds majority is needed to change the country’s constitution.
Calls to transfer land from white to black owners have intensified since South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took office.
Australian media have been reporting the result was an increase in violence against white farmers. Activists in South Africa have long said white farmers are disproportionately killed.
However, the BBC found in November that there was no statistical proof that white farmers were more likely to be murdered than black farmers.