BBQ 109
Nyhontso Mzwanele The land question cannot wait
Nasiphi Ndevu is the Head of Research for Frank Dialogue Holdings.
More than three decades into democracy, land reform remains one of South Africa’s most pressing challenges. Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development Mzwanele Nyhontso discusses historical dispossession, restitution, political unity and the urgent need to turn policy into meaningful progress, writes Nasiphi Ndevu.
During a Frank Dialogue podcast hosted by Prof. JJ Tabane, Nyhontso was asked difficult ques-tions about the Government of National Unity, the progress of land reform, the slow pace of restitution and whether government has done enough to address the effects of apartheid. The discussion brought together political and social com-mentators who challenged the minister to explain what his department is doing and what ordinary South Africans can expect. The conversation was direct, at times un-comfortable, but important. It placed the land question where Nyhontso believes it belongs – at the centre of the country’s un-finished democratic project.
It placed the land question where Nyhontso believes it belongs – at the centre of the country’s un-finished democratic project.
For the minister, the issue cannot be separ-ated from the history of South Africa. He argued that the political settlement of 1994 did not resolve the land question. Instead, the country entered democracy with a major historical injustice still waiting to be ad-dressed. “Actually, the reality is that if we are not resolving this thing, it is a ticking time bomb,” he told the programme. His words reflected the urgency he attaches to land reform. They also pointed to the pres-sure on government to show that progress is possible, particularly among communities that have waited for years to have their land claims resolved.
A place at the government table
One of the first questions put to Nyhontso concerned the PAC’s decision to join the Government of National Unity. For a party whose political history is closely linked to the demand for African liberation and the return of land, the decision to work in a gov-ernment alongside parties with different views was bound to attract attention. Tabane asked whether the decision had been difficult, especially given the PAC’s po-sition on historical dispossession and the role of the state in addressing it. Nyhontso said the decision was guided by the need to place the party at the centre of national politics. He explained that, when he took over the leadership of the PAC, he had com-mitted himself to moving the organisation away from the political margins. Joining the Government of National Unity, he said, presented an opportunity to do that.
He explained that, when he took over the leadership of the PAC, he had com-mitted himself to moving the organisation away from the political margins.
He also rejected the idea that the PAC entered government simply to demand po-sitions. According to Nyhontso, the party’s main demand was that a government be formed so that the country could continue delivering services. The PAC was not nego-tiating for a particular ministry, he said, and was not told in advance which portfolio it would receive. When the land reform and rural development portfolio was allocated to him, Nyhontso said the responsibility aligned with the party’s long-standing polit-ical position. For him, accepting the ministry was not a reason to abandon the PAC’s iden-tity.
Instead, he presented it as an opportunity to advance the land question from within government. His approach is based on the belief that participation in gov-ernment does not have to mean giving up political principles. The test, however, will be whether the department can turn those principles into visible results for communities.
Using the Constitution to widen access to land
The debate over Section 25 of the Constitu-tion remains one of the most contested parts of South Africa’s land reform process. The section deals with property rights and includes provisions relating to expropri-ation, restitution and equitable access to land.
During the interview, Nyhontso ac-knowledged that the debate around Section 25 was necessary. However, he argued that government should also use the provisions that already exist in the Constitution to make progress. He pointed to the constitu-tional requirement for equitable access to land and explained that his department had developed a proposed Equitable Access to Land Bill. At the time of the interview, the proposal was still moving through govern-ment processes. It had not yet become law. Nyhontso presented the proposed legisla-tion as a way of using the existing constitutional framework to improve access to land.
In focus
He pointed to the constitu-tional requirement for equitable access to land and explained that his department had developed a proposed Equitable Access to Land Bill.
His position was that the country should not allow disagreements over con-stitutional change to prevent other work from moving forward.
The proposal is important because access to land involves more than the question of who owns it today. It also concerns who can obtain land in the future, how that land is allocated and whether the process creates fair opportunities for people who have his-torically been excluded. For communities and individuals hoping to acquire land, the details will matter. A policy commitment must eventually translate into clear rules,
transparent decisions and practical oppor-tunities. The minister’s challenge is therefore twofold. He must advance the policies he believes are necessary while en-suring that the public understands what those policies will mean in practice.
The need for a clearer picture of land ownership
One of the most revealing moments in the discussion came when Nyhontso was ques-tioned about the amount of land that had been redistributed since 1994. He referred to figures presented by his department, stat-ing that approximately nine million hectares had been redistributed or restored through land reform programmes.
He must advance the policies he believes are necessary while en-suring that the public understands what those policies will mean in practice.
Of this amount, he said, 3.9-million hectares related to resti-tution and 5.1-million hectares to redistribution. But when the conversation moved to the wider picture of land owner-ship across South Africa, the minister explained that a comprehensive audit was needed. Previous land audits had been conducted, but Nyhontso argued that they did not provide the complete picture his de-partment required. He referred specifically to the 2017 audit, which focused on agricul-tural land. His department wanted a broader assessment that would include land held across different categories and by dif-ferent parts of the state.
The distinction matters. Agricultural land is only one part of the country’s total land area. A complete picture must account for other forms of land ownership and use if government is to understand the full scale of the challenge. Without reliable and com-prehensive information, it becomes difficult to measure progress accurately, identify gaps and set clear targets for the future. Nyhontso acknowledged that he could not give a precise national percentage showing how much land was in the hands of different racial groups. He said the audit would help establish a more complete picture. For the public, this raises an important question. After so many years of democracy, South
For a party whose political history is closely linked to the demand for African liberation and the return of land, the decision to work in a government alongside parties with different views was bound to attract attention
Africans need information that allows them to judge whether land reform is moving at the pace required. A comprehensive audit could provide a stronger basis for policy, planning and accountability. It would also help government explain what has been achieved, what remains outstanding and what must happen next.
Returning land is only the beginning
Restitution is among the most emotional parts of the land reform debate because it concerns communities and families whose relationship with their land was broken through dispossession. Yet the process of restoring land is complicated by limited funding, legal disputes, competing claims and disagreements within communities. Nyhontso acknowledged that his depart-ment continued to face a substantial backlog. During the podcast, he explained that the department had approximately R3-billion available for settling claims, while es-timating that resolving outstanding old order claims could require between R70-billion and R80-billion.
Yet the process of restoring land is complicated by limited funding, legal disputes, competing claims and disagreements within communities.
Those figures, as presented during the in-terview, show the size of the financial challenge facing the department. They also explain why clearing the backlog cannot be treated as a simple administrative exercise. Nyhontso suggested that the country should consider the question of reparations as part of a wider discussion about the lasting ef-fects of colonialism. He referred to the possibility of Britain and the Netherlands contributing towards reparations, arguing that such funding could help settle out-standing claims. The suggestion opens a broader debate about responsibility for his-torical dispossession and who should contribute to repairing its effects. It does not, however, remove the immediate re-sponsibility on government to explain how existing claims will be processed and how beneficiaries will be supported.
The minister also made an important dis-tinction between restoring land and ensuring that people can use it productively. A person or community that receives land may not necessarily want to farm. Some people need land for housing, while others may want to establish businesses or use it for community development. Even where farming is the goal, ownership alone does not guarantee success. Farmers need equipment, water, seeds, fertiliser, infra-structure and access to markets. Without these, land can become an asset that bene-ficiaries are unable to develop.
In focus
The minister also made an important dis-tinction between restoring land and ensuring that people can use it productively.
Nyhontso spoke about plans to provide farmers with production support, including implements and other inputs. He also acknowledged the need to work with other government depart-ments because many of the barriers facing land beneficiaries fall outside the direct con-trol of his ministry. This is a central issue in the land reform debate. Success cannot be measured only by the number of hectares transferred. It must also be measured by whether people can build secure livelihoods from the land they receive.
Addressing the inequalities that remain
The discussion also moved beyond farms and rural communities to the question of where people live and how they travel to work. Nyhontso argued that South Africa’s current settlement patterns continue to re-flect apartheid planning. Many people live far from employment opportunities and spend significant time and money travelling between their homes and places of work.
He described spatial planning as an import-ant part of the work his department must do to address these inequalities. During the interview, he referred to the establishment of an interministerial committee on spatial planning, with the aim of bringing govern-ment efforts together.
This issue matters because land reform is not limited to the countryside. Access to urban land can influence whether families live close to jobs, whether businesses can grow and whether communities have access to services. A household that cannot afford land or housing in a well-located area may remain trapped in a pattern of long com-mutes and limited opportunities. In this sense, the land question is also connected to transport, housing, education and eco-nomic development.
The challenge is to ensure that planning decisions begin to undo the inequalities built into the country’s geography. For Nyhontso, the responsibility of his department there-fore extends beyond returning land to its former owners. It also involves working to-wards a country where the location of a person’s home does not determine their access to opportunity.
A difficult road ahead
Access to urban land can influence whether families live close to jobs, whether businesses can grow and whether communities have access to services.
The minister’s position is clear on one point: the land question cannot be treated as a problem that has already been resolved. His participation in the Government of National Unity gives the PAC a place from which to influence policy, but it also places responsib-ility on him to demonstrate that political participation can produce meaningful change. Being in government brings access to decision-making, while also exposing the minister to public scrutiny over budgets, de-livery and the pace of reform. Nyhontso called for greater unity among political or-ganisations around the land question. He argued that parties do not need to agree on every issue to work together on matters where they share common ground. He also invited different political organisations, in-cluding those with opposing views, to take part in a wider national conversation.
Such dialogue will be important, but it cannot replace delivery. Communities wait-ing for restitution need clear updates. Emerging farmers need practical support. People seeking land for housing need fair access and transparent processes. The public needs reliable information about ownership and progress. The measure of Nyhontso’s leadership will ultimately be found in the results of his department’s work. A proposed bill must move through the required processes. The land audit must produce useful information. Claims must be addressed, and beneficiaries must receive the support needed to make their land work for them.
Claims must be addressed, and beneficiaries must receive the support needed to make their land work for them.
These are demanding tasks in a country where the history of land ownership re-mains deeply contested and the expectations of communities are high. The conversation on the Frank Dialogue pod-cast did not settle every disagreement. Instead, it revealed the scale of the work still required, and the questions govern-ment must continue to answer.
For South Africa, land remains about more than property. It is about history, dig-nity, security and the chance to build a better future. For Nyhontso, the responsib-ility is to help turn that promise into practical progress. The land question has waited for generations. The challenge now is to ensure that the next chapter is defined not only by debate, but by results that people can see and experience in their own lives.
The questions South Africa must ask about land
In a frank conversation with Prof. JJ Tabane and a panel of com-mentators, Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso addressed the Government of National Unity, land ownership, restitution and the challenges facing land reform.
The following Q&A captures the main issues raised during the discussion.
Minister, why did the PAC decide to join the Government of National Unity?
Nyhontso: When I took over the leadership of the PAC, I wanted the party to move away from the political margins and become part of the national conversation. We believed that a government needed to be formed so that the country could continue with service deliv-ery. We were not joining simply to demand a particular ministry. Our focus was on participating in government and advancing the issues that matter to our people.
Did accepting the land reform portfolio make sense for the PAC?
Nyhontso: The land question has always been important to the PAC. When I was given this responsibility, I understood the import-ance of the work ahead. It gives us an opportunity to contribute to the process of restoring land to people who were dispossessed and to improve access to land for those who need it.
Some South Africans feel that land reform has moved too slowly since 1994. What is your response?
Nyhontso: We must acknowledge that the land question remains unresolved. We cannot pretend that everything has been done. There are outstanding claims and many people are still waiting. The work must continue, and we must find ways to move forward.
In focus
It gives us an opportunity to contribute to the process of restoring land to people who were dispossessed and to improve access to land for those who need it.
Why is land reform such an urgent issue?
Nyhontso: If we do not resolve the land question, we risk leaving a serious problem for future generations. Land is connected to our history, our economy and the future of our country. We need to make progress because this is an issue that affects the stability and development of South Africa.
What is the role of Section 25 of the Constitution in land reform?
Nyhontso: We must look at the Constitution and the opportunities it already provides. The discussion about Section 25 is important, but we should not ignore other provisions that can help us advance equitable access to land. We need to use the tools available to us to make progress.
You spoke about a proposed Equitable Access to Land Bill. What is its purpose?
Nyhontso: The intention is to improve equitable access to land. We need to ensure that people have opportunities to access land and that the issue is addressed through a proper legal and policy framework. The proposal must go through the required government processes.
We need to ensure that people have opportunities to access land and that the issue is addressed through a proper legal and policy framework.
Can you tell South Africans exactly who owns the land in the country?
Nyhontso: We need a comprehensive land audit to give us a clearer picture. Previous audits have provided information, but we need a broader understanding of land ownership. We must know what land is owned by different groups and what is held by the state. That information will help us plan and make informed decisions.
How much progress has been made in returning land to communities?
Nyhontso: During the discussion, I referred to figures indicating that approximately nine million hectares had been redistributed or restored through land reform programmes. These included fig-ures for restitution and redistribution. However, there is still a great deal of work to do, and we must continue addressing the outstand-ing claims.
What is preventing government from resolving all outstanding land claims?
Nyhontso: Funding is one of the major challenges. The amount required to settle outstanding claims is significant, and the re-sources available are limited. We need to consider how the country can address this financial challenge and ensure that claims are resolved.
We need to consider how the country can address this financial challenge and ensure that claims are resolved.
Should former colonial powers contribute to the cost of land restitution?
Nyhontso: I raised the question of reparations and whether coun-tries such as Britain and the Netherlands could contribute towards addressing the consequences of historical dispossession. This is a matter that requires wider discussion. We must look at the history of land dispossession and consider how its effects can be addressed.
Is returning land enough to improve people’s lives?
Nyhontso: No. We must also look at what happens after people receive land. They need support to develop it. If we are dealing with farmers, they may need equipment, agricultural inputs and other resources. We must ensure that the land can be used productively.
In focus
If we are dealing with farmers, they may need equipment, agricultural inputs and other resources.
Must land reform focus only on agriculture?
Nyhontso: People need land for different reasons. Some need land for farming, while others need it for homes, businesses or other pur-poses. We must recognise these different needs when discussing access to land.
What are the biggest challenges facing emerging farmers?
Nyhontso: Farmers need more than land. They require resources and support to make their operations successful. This includes equip-ment and production inputs. We must work with other departments and relevant institutions to address the challenges that prevent be-neficiaries from developing their land.
How important is cooperation between government departments?
Nyhontso: It is very important. Land reform cannot succeed if de-partments work in isolation. Issues such as water, infrastructure and rural development require cooperation. We must coordinate our ef-forts to ensure that people who receive land can benefit from it.
What role does spatial planning play in addressing inequality?
Nyhontso: South Africa continues to experience the effects of apartheid spatial planning. Many people live far from their places of work and spend significant time travelling. We need to address these patterns and improve how our communities are planned.
Nyhontso: South Africa continues to experience the effects of apartheid spatial planning.
Can political parties unite around the land question despite their differences?
Nyhontso: I believe unity is important. Political parties may disagree on many issues, but they can still identify areas where they share common interests. We need a minimum programme that brings people together to discuss the land question and find ways forward.
What should South Africans expect from your department?
Nyhontso: We must continue working towards restoring land, im-proving access and supporting beneficiaries. The work requires planning, resources and cooperation. We must keep moving forward and ensure that land reform remains a priority.
Nyhontso: We must continue working towards restoring land, im-proving access and supporting beneficiaries.
What would success in land reform ultimately look like?
Nyhontso: Success must mean that people are able to access land and benefit from it. We need to restore land to rightful owners, support those who receive it and address the wider challenges that prevent communities from developing. Land reform must contribute to a better future for South Africans.