Land reform a national imperative

Ihave been following the public hearings on expropriation of land without compensation and I must commend South Africans for their participation and the energy they have shown with robust engagement.

The participation and engagement shown gives me hope that the issue of land is being given its sensitive attention.

Land reform in South Africa is not a nice to have, but a national imperative. For South Africans, land is as precious a commodity as water and an issue as emotional and as deeply rooted as cultural expression.

Perhaps more than any other thing, land ownership symbolises our freedom. Land is an economic asset and should be treated as such.

The division about land is still evident in the way we address the matter among ourselves, as Africans. We need to remind ourselves that these hearings are not only about land, but economic freedom in our lifetime.

People, especially the poor, should have access to high-quality basic services that enable them to be well-nourished, healthy and increasingly skilled.

It’s about breaking the shackles of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

I think wherever Nelson Mandela is, he is happy with these engagements. As we celebrate his centenary this month, we are reminded that there is more to discuss as we continue to forge a South Africa that brings out the beauty in all of us. There are many roads still to walk, many rivers still to cross, and many mountains still to climb.

It’s not going to be an easy road because there will be challenges and potholes along the way.

As Mandela would say: “After climbing the many hills we climbed together in our attempts to give land to our people, we should not be surprised to find that there are still more hills to conquer, because as leaders we have the responsibility to place the interests of our people first.”

We should not slumber nor sleep in our quest for redress. Tshepo Diale