Local analysts blast ANC, EFF

Local political commentators are accusing South African political parties - specifically the ruling ANC and the EFF - of making decisions on land expropriation without compensation, in order to please their voters, but without taking into account the economic ramifications for the rest of the region.

They are also not buying assurances from South African caretaker president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who met with President Hage Geingob over the past weekend and said his administration will make sure that the neighbouring country's economy is not negatively impacted, as it strives to reclaim the land.

Local social commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah said he shares the sentiments of constitutional expert, Professor Nico Horn, who has painted a bleak picture of the forces that were unlashed last week when the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) united to pass a parliamentary motion that is set to trigger a constitutional amendment that will see land being expropriated without compensation.

Kamwanyah insists South Africa's political parties are making “head-over-heels decisions to please voters, without thinking of the economic ramifications on the rest of the region”.

“I really hope our government will not follow this example. What guarantee is there that the farms will be productively used? Kamwanyah asked.

The Namibian economy remains dependent on the neighbouring country through its currency being pegged to the rand and because the bulk of its imports originate in South Africa.

During a state visit to Geingob on Friday, Ramaphosa told local media his government is approaching its latest land reform policy in a positive way.

“We should take away the panic and fear that is being instilled in the hearts of a number of people in our country and say to them [that] we are going to handle this issue very responsibly.

“We are going to make sure that as we ensure that our people get land, access to land, and do it in a way that we see it as part of the economic growth path of our economy,” Ramaphosa said.

The South African parliament last week adopted a land expropriation without compensation motion brought by EFF leader Julius Malema that was supported by a vote of 241 in support and 83 against, with the ruling ANC throwing its full weight behind the move.

The biggest question is now whether the South African government is in a position to service outstanding farm debt, which stands at about R160 billion, should it proceed to expropriate land without compensation.

Horn believes that South African banks will fold if they are expected to wipe this debt off their records.

He is also concerned there may not be proper support structures in place to ensure resettled farmers can farm productively.

Horn is also worried that South Africa runs the risk of being shunned by international lending agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

“The moment you do not honour your treaty commitments - say for instance you have said you support compensation for expropriation - then the World Bank and other international agencies will withdraw and they will also not bail out the banks in South Africa. The biggest weakness of this plan is that they see land in isolation,” said Horn.

He also questioned how the South African government plans to handle the question of infrastructure and machinery, and whether these will be included in the expropriation without compensation move.

Horn also questioned whether the South African government can ensure that expropriated land does not end up in the hands of the country's “autocracy”, as was the case in Zimbabwe. But most importantly he argued that the government must explain why it has failed to return land to its people.

“Look at the District Six situation; I do not think anyone could ever have had a problem that those people should have been compensated for their land. What kept the government from doing it?” he asked.

While South Africa insists it will expropriate land and not grab it, Horn said he is worried that the country has opened the sluices and may not be able to stop the landless from invading farms.

“Those are the things that are not addressed at this point; there is only euphoric rhetoric to fix injustices. My question is how do you stop people from grabbing land, if you whip up people, like Julius Malema does? You open a door up and get people to a point where they no longer care?”