First seizure of white owned farms in South Africa.

The controversial land seizure program, which sees land being forcibly bought from white farmers and sold to black South Africans through government loans, has begun. The initial idea was to have a “willing buyer/willing seller” arrangement. This is apparently too slow for the activists and trade unions, who suggested that they would take possession themselves if things were not speeded up.

The goal is to return 30% of the white owned farmland back to black South Africans, by 2014.

Personally I agree with a free market economy. I know that if I were given a farm tomorrow, it would not be commercially viable firstly because I have no experience in running a farm, but also it is not a business venture, it is a gift. It’s give/teach a man to fish scenario. If we look at the example of Zimbabwe, we see a country formerly known as the breadbasket of Africa reduced to a country that cannot feed itself, besides the rest of its woes. Evicting a productive group of people from their homes will create distrust, ill feeling and which will undoubtedly add to the brain drain that South Africa is already facing.

I would propose rather to give government land which is not currently productive and spend the money on making it arable farmland. This would actually add something to the economy and general goodwill, which is always welcome.