Expropriation gets limited support
Only about 30% of South Africans support land expropriation without compensation, while nearly as many have no clue what the term even means, according to a new survey by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).
This and other findings were shared in the second part of the IRR’s comprehensive survey of voters conducted between August 22 and September 4.
This poll, published as The Criterion Report, is the first of its kind, surveying the electoral landscape in what the institute hopes to continue to do in an effort to become an authority on political market research.
Following the ANC’s announcement that it plans to amend the constitution to allow for land expropriation, the survey focused on land, land reform, property rights and the attitude of voters towards these issues.
The policy has been strongly advocated by populist politicians such as the EFF’s leader Julius Malema, who maintains that most black people would like to see land expropriated without compensation.
However, Malema wants all land to be nationalised and administered by the state, an outcome survey respondents were apparently not in favour of once the implications were spelled out.
According to the IRR’s analysis of the findings, the key insights include the fact that 27% of all voters (nearly one in three people) have not heard of expropriation without compensation (EWC), 41% of all voters who have heard of EWC, “somewhat” or “strongly” oppose the policy and only 30% of all voters who have heard of EWC “somewhat” or “strongly” support the policy.
In addition, 51% of all voters believe an alternative to EWC should be pursued, while 17% believe no land reform is necessary.
Sixty-eight percent believe “individuals should have the right to own land in their private capacity” and 31% of all voters believe “all land in South Africa should be owned by the government”.
Lastly, the IRR reports that “support for EWC collapses when respondents are asked whether government should be able to take land they own themselves” as 90% of all voters are “somewhat” or “strongly” opposed to that idea.
Based on these stats, the IRR has deduced that “the great majority of black South Africans have little interest in land reform” and they view more jobs and better education as a more viable option for their advancement in society.
Of the overall sample group, 30% of all voters felt a policy of “taking land from whites without paying” was closest to their view while 51% felt an alternative best represented their view.