mzansi-247.co.za
By Staff Reporter | 12 July 2025
Cape Town – As Parliament reconvenes for its third sitting of the year, land reform is once again at the centre of South Africa’s political discourse. With deadlines looming for key legislative reforms and rising frustration among landless communities, the question being asked is whether 2025 will mark a turning point—or simply another year of missed opportunities.
This year, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) faces intense pressure to deliver on long-standing promises to address South Africa’s deeply unequal land ownership patterns. Over three decades after the end of apartheid, less than 10% of commercial farmland has been redistributed to black South Africans, despite successive government commitments to overhaul land ownership.
On the ground, this disconnect between policy and implementation is sparking anger in rural communities and urban informal settlements alike. Analysts, too, are growing increasingly skeptical of the state’s capacity to follow through, even as key legislative milestones approach.
A History of Delays
Land reform in South Africa has historically been structured around three pillars: land restitution, land redistribution, and tenure reform. While restitution has seen some success in settling historical claims, redistribution—the process of transferring land to historically disadvantaged individuals—has floundered.
According to the most recent DALRRD report tabled in Parliament in March 2025, only 8.6 million hectares of land have been transferred since 1994, far below the original target of 30%. Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke also noted irregularities and inefficiencies in the allocation process, pointing out that “more than 70% of redistributed land projects are underperforming or not operational at all.”
In response, Minister Thoko Didiza last year announced a “Land Reform Acceleration Plan” with a revised target of redistributing an additional 3 million hectares by the end of 2025. Yet implementation has been sluggish. By May, just 321,000 hectares had been redistributed, with most of it tied up in bureaucratic disputes or unresolved title claims.
Voices from the Ground
In the Eastern Cape, where large tracts of land remain unused or under communal ownership, frustration is mounting.
“We’ve been on the waiting list since 2008,” says 56-year-old Nontobeko Mhlaba, a small-scale farmer near Queenstown. “Every year they tell us to be patient, but the land is there—we can see it. It’s not being used, and our young people are unemployed.”
In Limpopo, similar concerns are echoed. Sipho Ledwaba, a land activist affiliated with the Nkuzi Development Association, says community groups feel sidelined. “There’s been very little consultation. Policies are decided in Pretoria, but implementation depends on municipalities that lack capacity and political will.”
Policy Hurdles and Legal Complexities
One of the key legislative processes under way this year is the long-delayed Land Redistribution Bill, which aims to provide a legal framework for identifying, acquiring, and allocating land to landless citizens. The draft bill, gazetted in December 2024, proposes a new national land allocation agency and a land rights ombudsman.
But the bill remains bogged down in legal challenges and inter-departmental wrangling. Civil society organisations such as the Legal Resources Centre have welcomed the bill’s intent but argue that it lacks clarity on enforcement and fails to protect women’s land rights adequately.
“The redistribution process must be transparent, accountable, and gender-sensitive,” says Nomfundo Mbele, an attorney at LRC. “We’ve seen cases where men register redistributed land in their names and exclude women from decision-making entirely.”
At the heart of the legal stalemate is the unresolved debate over Section 25 of the Constitution. Efforts to amend the clause to allow expropriation without compensation collapsed in 2021, but proponents are pushing for renewed debate. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have pledged to reintroduce a private member’s bill this year to reignite constitutional amendments.
Political Will vs. Public Cynicism
While President Cyril Ramaphosa continues to affirm land reform as a national priority, critics accuse his administration of symbolic gestures over substantive change.
During his State of the Nation Address in February, Ramaphosa stated, “The land issue remains a burning question in the hearts of many South Africans. We will fast-track land reform in a manner that ensures justice, equity, and agricultural productivity.”
However, opposition parties have called the government’s strategy incoherent. Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Dianne Kohler Barnard told Parliament in March, “We’ve seen more policy papers than actual farms being handed over. The ANC must admit that it has failed to deliver on land reform.”
In KwaZulu-Natal, where traditional leaders control vast tracts of land under the Ingonyama Trust, tensions have resurfaced between rural communities and the state. The Trust controls over 2.8 million hectares of communal land, complicating tenure reform and land redistribution efforts in the province.
Zanele Nxumalo, a researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, says, “Without addressing the role of customary authorities and negotiating a balance between traditional land management and constitutional rights, reform will remain stalled.”
Economic Implications
Beyond politics, economists warn that ongoing delays in land reform risk perpetuating poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity.
“The lack of access to land directly affects livelihoods, especially in rural areas,” says Dr. Mandla Maseko, an agricultural economist at the University of Pretoria. “If managed well, land reform can create jobs, support smallholder farming, and boost GDP. But right now, the process is fragmented and underfunded.”
In Budget 2025, the Treasury allocated R8.7 billion to land reform, slightly up from last year’s R7.9 billion. However, a significant portion is earmarked for administration and legal fees, leaving limited funds for actual land purchases or post-settlement support.
“People don’t just need land—they need infrastructure, training, and access to markets,” Maseko adds. “Otherwise, we are setting them up for failure.”
Hope on the Horizon?
Despite the setbacks, some pilot projects offer glimmers of hope. In the Northern Cape, the “AgriStart” programme, a joint initiative between provincial government and private agribusinesses, has successfully resettled over 200 families on commercial farms, with technical training and access to funding. Early assessments show promising yields and sustainable operations.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture is expected to release a mid-year progress report in August, assessing the status of key reforms and offering new recommendations.
In a recent interview, panel chairperson Dr. Vuyo Mahlati urged government to act decisively: “We’ve had enough analysis. Now we need action. Land reform is not just about justice—it’s about the economic survival of this country.”
The Road Ahead
As the year progresses, pressure is mounting on the government to deliver. Civil society groups are planning nationwide marches in September to demand faster and more transparent reform. The ANC, facing a bruising election campaign in 2026, may be tempted to accelerate reforms to regain public trust.
But whether this will result in meaningful land transfers—or more bureaucratic bottlenecks—remains to be seen.
For citizens like Nontobeko Mhlaba in the Eastern Cape, hope is running thin. “We don’t want speeches. We want land. We’re tired of waiting.”
