Land law is fine as it is

The DA does not oppose land reform. We oppose the amendment of section 25 of the constitution.

The mission of unity over division is a crucial one in the context of a SA still suffering from the legacies of racial oppression. This is arguably most felt in the unequal distribution of land.

SA and our democratic dispensation are dependent and built on the foundation of cooperation and negotiation. The Convention for a Democratic SA (Codesa) resulted in a negotiated peace which led to the creation of the constitution, a “document of compromise”. That does not make it weak. In fact, that’s what makes the constitution strong. It strives to protect rights and redress the ills of the past.

The ANC and EFF want the country to believe that section 25 of the constitution is the root of the impasse we face on land reform, but it is this very section that promotes the need for redress and the protection of rights. This is why the DA will use every means possible to challenge this proposed constitutional amendment.

The DA believes in land reform that guarantees the protection of individual rights and, importantly, the inclusion of more protections. We believe in land reform that builds a nation where we work together to eliminate the legacies of the past. We believe real land reform makes more black South Africans owners of land and not tenants. We believe in urban land reform where strategic government land is released, and housing beneficiaries receive the title deeds and are placed close to jobs and services. This is what a DA national government would seek to achieve.

While other political organisations seek to use the scars of the past to divide us, it has become clear that the DA is the only party that is dedicated to creating one SA for all.

Thandeka Mbabama

DA shadow minister of rural development and land reform