South African Land Reform for What?

On June 30, South African President Jacob Zuma signed legislation re-opening the process of land restitution in South Africa. After the democratic transition in 1994, the South African government had made plans to compensate people who had been forcibly removed from their land, because of the racist land policies enacted in the twentieth century. Land in South Africa is about more than just economics. It is about homes and history, identity and justice. But it might also be time to think beyond land redistribution and towards other kinds of economic restitution. Continue reading →