After a mention in the State of the Nation Address, the issue of land reform is back in the public discourse. Is the "willing buyer, willing seller" model still the best way to ensure that the majority of land, particularly well located urban land and commercial farming land is redistributed in a meaningful way to the disenfranchised majority of South Africans? The case of Zimbabwe looms as a spectre of a potential future. One that the the most progressive nations of the SADC, and it's people cannot afford. When we talk about land reform we should we talking about both urban and rural land, however, politically 'land reform' (ie. the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform) is firmly, conceptually located on the rural front. For a bit of background to why land reform has not happened as quickly as it many think it should have, check out Urban LandMark, a programme focused on urban land markets, seeking means of making these markets more accessible to the poor. Lets get this discussion going.
Image: Zapiro
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