AfriForum stirs trouble

The debate over land expropriation without compensation has been heating up since it was endorsed by parliament, and AfriForum did no good by publishing an unconfirmed list of 139 farms allegedly earmarked for expropriation.

The organisation knew doing so would be inflammatory, and went ahead to destabilise the agricultural sector.

Why did AfriForum not confirm the list before publishing? This is an action by a rogue organisation hellbent on destroying what the democratic government has achieved so far. The move is strategic as it will detract from positive engagement on issues of land reform.

What AfriForum fails to understand is that, for South Africans, land symbolises more than an expanse of soil. For most people, it has nothing to do with agriculture at all.

The country needs cool heads to deal with land reform as it is an emotive and sensitive issue. AfriForum should try to understand that it is about much more than just reorganising ownership patterns. It is also about symbolism, history and inequality, and even in some quarters a desire to have the white minority “put in its place”, to make them feel the pain the majority felt for so long.

This is why expropriation without compensation has become a rallying call for many who feel that a quarter of a century of democracy has not ended white privilege. It symbolises a much broader demand for change. Our economy is fragile and we do not need this sort of posturing by AfriForum, which will incite hatred and violence.

Tshepo Diale Nkwe Estate