Mashatile confirms South Africa’s land reform path is set, no turning back

Mashatile

Cape Town – Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reaffirmed South Africa’s unwavering commitment to addressing historical land injustices, stating that the country will not bow to international pressure in its land reform agenda.

Speaking during the Human Rights Day commemorations in Kariega, Eastern Cape, on Friday, Mashatile defended the newly enacted Expropriation Act, describing it as a crucial step toward equitable land ownership and restorative justice. He emphasized that South Africa, as a sovereign nation, would uphold its policies to rectify past injustices, despite external scrutiny and opposition.

“We would like to reiterate that South Africa, as a sovereign state, would not disregard its policies and activities aimed at rectifying historical injustices due to external pressure,” Mashatile said, as quoted by The Citizen.

Mashatile stressed the deep and lasting economic consequences of apartheid, noting that its policies of exclusion, marginalization, and land dispossession had entrenched systemic inequalities that continue to affect millions of South Africans today.

He further highlighted that addressing these injustices is not only a moral imperative but also a necessary foundation for a more inclusive and sustainable economy.

“Our land reform agenda is, therefore, a crucial step toward healing the historical wounds of the past, as it acknowledges that land dispossession remains one of the most enduring and difficult legacies of that era,” he said, according to EWN.

The Expropriation Act, which was signed into law in 2024, has drawn international attention, particularly from Western nations concerned about property rights and foreign investments.

However, Mashatile reassured South Africans that the government’s land reform programme is designed to balance social justice with economic stability, ensuring that land redistribution benefits those who were historically excluded while maintaining agricultural productivity and investor confidence.

Honouring victims of the Langa massacre

As part of the official Human Rights Day commemorations, Mashatile joined a high-level delegation, including Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, Minister of Social Development Nokuzola Tolashe, and Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel, in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Langa Massacre Monument in Kariega.

The ceremony paid tribute to the 35 people killed and 27 others injured when police opened fire on mourners attending a funeral in March 1985. The massacre was one of many tragic events during the apartheid era in which state security forces violently suppressed anti-apartheid activism.

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