Expropriation without Compensation!

South Africa is in a state of turmoil as they adjust to their new presidency. In February of this year, the old president Jacob Zuma left office, and is currently facing criminal charges for fraud. South Africa’s newest president, Cyril Ramaphosawas elected this year from the ruling party, the African National Congress. (ANC). As Zuma’s replacement, he ran on the policies and promises that the African people of South Africa would once again regain control of their native lands. What does this mean exactly?

On February 27, 2018, a vote was held in parliament to recover and seize all lands from white farmers in South Africa. A Marxist opposition leader, Julius Malemaproposed the notion to the parliament, hoping that the new president would act. The notion passed in parliament, with a vote of 241 to 83. Mr. Malema was quoted to say, “Reconciliation is over.” He along with the black South African majority in parliament are seeking repercussions for the decades of apartheid in the nations recent past. “We must ensure that we restore the dignity of our people without compensating the criminals who stole our land.”

Census reports have noted that nearly 72% of all farm land is owned by white South Africans, and has been slowly declining since the end of the Apartheid. Many are worried that taking the land away from citizens of any race without compensation will cause unforeseeable consequences in the future. Not to fare ago in the past, the Zimbabwe government enacted a similar policy in their nation. To this day, they are seeing the economic and humanitarian effects of that decision. This is a direct violation of the nation’s current standing constitution, where it was amended nearly two decades prior to protect the land of white owners. This was done with the knowledge that whites are a minority in the country and that their property was to be protected at the end of the Apartheid. The Constitution is now undergoing the amendment process to strip white South African of their land without compensations.

Not even into the third month of the new year and already the nation has seen the murder of fifteen white farmers, and over one hundred and nine attacks. Every five days one white south African is killed over the color of his skin and the land he owns. Julius Malema was quoted to say in 2016, that he is “not calling for the slaughter of white people - at least for now”. Thousands of people are worried for their safety in a nation that clearly does not care for their basic human right to life.

Peterson’s motivated reasoning and political parties say that voters are reliant on the social ques of their party’s leaders to help them make political decisions. The research shows that even when parties cross the line into unfamiliar territory about a new policy issues, that the voters will usually follow their lead. We can see this happening in South Africa, the Politian’s are voicing an opinion that they say the masses are wanting communicated. Despite their harsh past both blacks and whites in South Africa have learned how to live peacefully for nearly two decades. Maybe, the violence towards white land owners is really occurring from a small minority of individuals and the president’s agenda. They could be too afraid to admit that the minority Marxist party members are controlling the outcome, over fear of losing their heritage and dignity if they do not go along with what the masses seem to want. No matter the cause, this endemic humanitarian crisis is affecting the lives and international relations of South Africa. What will happen to theses land owners? Some have begun petitions to get them visas to come to the United States, although that is a whole other problematic topic. 

References

Mailonline, Ben Hill For. “'We Are Not Calling for the Slaughter of White People - at Least for Now': South African Parliament Votes to SEIZE White-Owned Land as Experts Warn of Violent Repercussions.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 28 Feb. 2018, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5443599/White-South-African-farmers-removed-land.html.

Cole, Brendan. “A White Farmer Is Killed Every Five Days in South Africa and Authorities Do Nothing about It, Activists Say.” Newsweek, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2018, www.newsweek.com/white-farmer-killed-every-five-days-south-africa-authorities-do-nothing-851470.