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The FW de Klerk Foundation notes with deep concern the recent remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa in which he appeared to praise Zimbabwe’s land redistribution policies. During a recent address in Harare, President Ramaphosa drew parallels between South Africa and Zimbabwe’s histories of land dispossession and asserted that it was “essential … that the government embarked on ambitious reforms to facilitate the entry of black Zimbabweans into productive agriculture, including support to small-scale farmers.”

Zimbabwe’s land seizures in the early 2000s were accompanied by violent invasions and human rights abuses and ultimately left the country “in tatters, destroying its economy… and creating famine for its people”, according to some critics. That President Ramaphosa would hold up such a disaster as a positive example is profoundly alarming.

As a foundation dedicated to constitutionalism and human rights, the FW de Klerk Foundation finds it incomprehensible that the Head of State would celebrate a policy that inflicted such harm on a neighbouring nation. President Ramaphosa’s remarks appear to reflect a blind political allegiance to Zimbabwe’s ruling party, placing solidarity above the lessons of history.

South Africa’s own history of dispossession demands redress, but it must be pursued within the framework of our Constitution. Section 25 of the Constitution balances equitable land reform with the protection of property rights. While it permits expropriation, it forbids arbitrary deprivation of property. In contrast to Zimbabwe’s chaotic land grabs, our nation can address injustices through lawful reforms that uphold human dignity, social cohesion and economic growth. Expropriation without compensation (“EWC”), as contained in the Expropriation Act of 2024, remains inconsistent with these constitutional principles and should be rejected.

“Rather than glorifying Zimbabwe’s tragic example, South Africa should confront its own underutilised alternatives. The state remains one of the largest landowners in the country, yet much of this land lies idle or is poorly managed. Before undermining private property rights, the government should release state-owned land transparently and equip emerging farmers with the skills, capital and support needed to thrive. Land reform without productivity condemns people to poverty. Reform with integrity and resources offers real dignity,” said Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation.

“This incident underscores how tone-deaf leadership can divide and damage a nation,” said Ismail Joosub, Manager of the FW de Klerk Foundation’s Constitutional Advancement Programme. “South Africans are urging the government to fix our country through sensible, lawful reforms, not destructive experiments. We must not abandon our constitutional principles in a misguided bid to redress past injustices. Land reform must be achieved without destroying our economy or our unity.”

The FW de Klerk Foundation accordingly calls on President Ramaphosa and the government to reaffirm their commitment to constitutional land reform. We urge the Presidency to clarify that South Africa will not emulate Zimbabwe’s failed approach, but will instead pursue policies that promote justice, food security and stability within the law. Now is the time to prioritise unity over division, constitutionalism over populism and constructive solutions over reckless rhetoric. At a time of global uncertainty and domestic challenges, South Africa’s leaders must put the country’s long-term welfare above partisan loyalties, ensuring our constitutional values remain the compass for the nation’s future.

  

Issued by Christo van der Rheede and Ismail Joosub on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation