Of land and landing on the moon

THIS Thursday will mark a year since the ANC resolved to amend the constitution to achieve land expropriation without compensation.

The announcement came via Enoch Godongwana on the final day of the ruling party’s 54th national conference. As the chair of the ANC’S economic transformation committee, he was at the centre of deliberations on the issue and it was clear the matter was highly contested, even within the ANC.

Land reform became one of the dominant themes this year. During February, Parliament passed a motion to review the property ownership clause of the constitution to allow for expropriation without compensation. Hearings were held throughout the country, sparking widespread interest and debate. Emotions ran high and, given South Africa’s racially divided past, it was no surprise the issue polarised citizens along race lines.

While we were seized with the land issue, so were the Chinese. However, their focus was different.

A week ago, a Chinese rocket blasted off carrying a robot spacecraft called Chang’e 4. If all goes to plan, during the first few days of 2019, Chang’e 4 will touch down on the dark side of the moon, going where no space mission has gone before. We earthlings don’t get to see this side of the moon with our naked eye. It was only in the late 1950s that we got a first look thanks to pictures from a Russian spacecraft. But no man-made vehicle has landed on this side of the moon which is what makes the Chang’e 4 mission so significant.

China has made great strides in space exploration and, in 2003, became only the third country to independently send a person to space. But that’s just the start. There are plans to land on the moon as well as build a space station and establish a moon base with a permanent human presence.

Thereafter, there are plans to go to Mars and other planets.

While we wrestle with getting a small piece of land on this rock called Earth, there are others putting their focus on how they can own and benefit from entire rocks. Such is our reality which was shaped during colonialism and apartheid and perpetuated during democracy.