Editorial: Fair land reform without violence

An editorial by the South African Institute of International Affairs discussing the necessity of fair land reform in Africa, contrasting the approach of Robert Mugabe with more systematic efforts in Kenya and South Africa, and emphasizing the need for technical and financial support for new farmers.

• While land redistribution is politically and morally necessary to address colonial inequities, the editorial argues that successful reform requires more than just land allocation; it necessitates technical and financial support, advanced planning, and assistance for farmers to adapt to commercial techniques, working capital, and foreign markets.
• Kenya experienced violent land grabs during pre-election pogroms in 1992 and 1997, where politically powerful individuals used connections to the ruling clan to transfer government holdings, national parks, and parastatals into private hands. The current Kenyan government is attempting to implement a rational and systematic reform process to diffuse these tensions.
• South Africa is working to address a significant backlog of land claims resulting from apartheid and emphasizes that governments must ensure justice delivery systems are fair, adequately staffed, and efficient to settle disputes promptly.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). Editorial: Fair land reform without violence. https://saiia.org.za/research/editorial-fair-land-reform-without-violence/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Editorial: Fair land reform without violence. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/research/editorial-fair-land-reform-without-violence/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Editorial: Fair land reform without violence |date=28 April 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/editorial-fair-land-reform-without-violence/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008editorial, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Editorial: Fair land reform without violence}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/editorial-fair-land-reform-without-violence/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }