Warnings abound that unless something is done to quickly resolve the issues of land ownership and access to both rural and urban land, people will invade and forcibly or violently take over land. Thus no one can ever claim that they were not aware that such issues were bubbling among the landless or the dispossessed. In Namibia, the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement has asserted that unless something is done to radically address the need for land among the indigenous people of Namibia, they will invade and take over land. In South Africa similar warnings have been made by various landless people’s movements, and by ordinary landless people. To make matters worse, there have been reports in both countries about ordinary individuals, officials, traditional leaders and corporates illegally taking over pieces of land. Indeed, these land-related grievances are not unique to these two Southern African countries; Kenya, for example, has a similar problem. Why, then, are the governments concerned apparently so reluctant to radically reform land ownership patterns?

Written by Matsepane Morare SJ, Researcher; and Berhan Taye Gemeda, Research Intern
Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO)