Terence Corrigan on land reform in South Africa

Private property rights are an essential component of democracy and economic development. South Africa has an unfortunate history of violating property rights, with many people still lacking access to land in the post-Apartheid era.  

The ANC government's proposed solution is a radical policy of Expropriation Without Compensation (EWC), in the form of an amendment to the property rights clause of the Constitution, as well as the proposed Expropriation Bill. If passed, these constitutional and legislative changes would severely undermine the existing protections for private property rights.   

In this episode of the 'Solutions With David Ansara' podcast, David speaks with Terence Corrigan, project manager at the Institute of Race Relations, about the origins of the EWC debate and the risk that EWC poses to South Africa's economy. Terence and David explore alternative solutions to the land problem and the power of freehold title as an instrument for improving access to land for the poor.  

TIMESTAMPS

(0:00) Intro

(0:44) Historical context of land dispossession in SA

(6:22) The failure of land reform post-1994

(12:13) Origins of the EWC debate

(18:35) Proposed Constitutional amendment & EWC Bill

(26:15) The risks of EWC

(31:23) Other classes of property

(33:34) Alternative solutions to the land problem

(41:46) The importance of freehold title

(44:11) Contradictions in government policy

(46:26) Conclusion