The Democratic Alliance (DA) has strongly criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s remarks praising Zimbabwe\u2019s land reform programme during his visit to Harare last week.<\/p>\n
IOL reported last week that Ramaphosa was in Zimbabwe at the invitation of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, where he attended the annual Zimbabwe Agricultural Show as guest of honour.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the event, Ramaphosa congratulated Zimbabwe for reviving its agricultural sector through policy reforms, investment in irrigation, mechanisation, and empowering both large- and small-scale farmers.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn independence in 1980, the new democratic government of Zimbabwe had to take on the momentous task of dismantling colonial-era patterns of land ownership.<\/p>\n
Most of the country\u2019s commercially productive land and large-scale farms were owned by whites. The black majority was confined to communal lands and excluded from commercial farming,\u201d said Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was therefore essential \u2013 for both historical redress and food security, development and economic growth \u2013 that the government embarked on ambitious reforms to facilitate the entry of black Zimbabweans into productive agriculture, including support to small-scale farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reacting to Ramaphosa’s remarks, DA national spokesperson and Member of Parliament Willie Aucamp said the president was \u201cwrongfully praising\u201d a programme that devastated Zimbabwe\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe DA condemns and rejects this praise by Ramaphosa for a process which left Zimbabwe in tatters, destroying its economy, destroying its foreign relations, and creating famine for its people,\u201d Aucamp said.<\/p>\n
He argued that because land was not legally transferred, Zimbabwe was left with crippling financial reparations due to former farmers and landowners.<\/p>\n
\u201cRamaphosa is attempting to whitewash the disaster in Zimbabwe, to create momentum for the ANC\u2019s land expropriation agenda in terms of the Expropriation Act of 2025,\u201d Aucamp added.<\/p>\n
While acknowledging the need for land reform in South Africa, the DA insisted it must be pursued within the bounds of the Constitution and rule of law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe DA firmly believes in the need to redress the injustices of the past, particularly through fair and lawful land reform that restores dignity and economic opportunity.<\/p>\n
However, this redress must occur within the bounds of the Constitution and the rule of law, which Expropriation Without Compensation does not meet,\u201d Aucamp said.<\/p>\n
He further stressed that the Government of National Unity does not endorse Zimbabwe\u2019s \u201cland confiscation\u201d model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Democratic Alliance (DA) has strongly criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s remarks praising Zimbabwe\u2019s land reform programme during his…","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,24,25,42,32],"tags":[46,73,48,49,50,58,66,75,80],"class_list":["post-2497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-africa","category-future","category-national","category-south-africa","category-space-future","tag-africa","tag-eswatini","tag-feature","tag-human-interest","tag-international","tag-national","tag-opinion","tag-politics","tag-south-africa","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"yoast_head":"\n