Fears mount of Zimbabwe-style land reforms in South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa endorsement of Zimbabwe’s land seizures has sparked concern over its expropriation policy.

Photo credit: Reuters

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s public endorsement of Zimbabwe’s decades-old seizure of white-owned farms has sparked alarm among his coalition partners, reigniting fears that Pretoria may emulate its northern neighbour’s controversial land redistribution policies.

Speaking at the official opening of Zimbabwe’s premier agricultural fair in Harare last Friday, the South African president praised the country’s land reform programme, describing it as “essential and ambitious.”