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"A man is not a man until he has a house of his own.”

(Quote by Nelson Mandela)

Within the framework of the ongoing Breakfast Discussion Series of KAS South Africa and the CFCR, experts and other interested parties came together to debate whether land reforms and property rights have to be passed, and if so, how such legislation is to be implemented. While some are strongly in favor of a self-regulatory approach, others support entitlement through government intervention.

Statistics and data provided by the speakers showed that 35.000 farms used by multinational corporations account for 82 Million hectares of land. In contrast to that, 2.5 Million small scale farmers share only about 18 Million hectares of land in South Africa. When it comes to the redistribution of land, many of those who have been disadvantaged for years settle for cash compensation because they feel like they have no other option. Claiming title for land still is accompanied by a lot of bureaucracy and represents a great hurdle for civil society. This means, that even though private ownership is considered to be the most desirable form of tenure, only few (can) make use of it. Critics include the accusation that instead of fixing the incoherent, inadequate and misdirected laws, politics are heavily influenced by the "elitist minority" to strengthen their own and at the same time weakening civil societys´ position and power.

And even though there is disagreement between the parties on how land reforms and property rights are to be realized, there is agreement that these highly controversial topics have to be addressed. Raising awareness on all levels and providing a platform for information and support therefore is the number one priority for all experts in order to bring about positive change and ensure that every man gets what he deserves.