Reason and not emotions should determine the debate about possession of land in SA
To have a sensible debate on land in South Africa and especially a subject such as the 1913 Natives Land Act which was discussed in Parliament today, all facts should be highlighted and not only those which suite certain agendas. It could also just have sense and meaning if lessons are taken from it for the future.
Dr. Pieter Mulder, leader of the Freedom Front Plus, said in Parliament today during the debate on the 1913 Act, that he has two problems when history is discussed.
He said that the core of the objection against the 1913 Act is that it had divided the land between black and white and that only 13% of the land was given to black people. This is a valid criticism about injustices of the past. But it is based upon today's facts and not based upon the facts of 1913.
All the maps of 1913 indicate that the Union of South Africa was part of British South Africa. British South Africa in 1913 consisted of South Africa and the three former protectorates, today known as Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.
In 1913 there was no question that these protectorates would one day become independent states. Botswana was until 1965 still managed from Mahikeng in South Africa. It was generally accepted that the protectorates would in the long run be incorporated into South Africa.
That is why the South Africa Act of 1909, which was approved by the British parliament, provided for the incorporation of these three areas into South Africa at a later stage.
In the views of many people, the surface of these areas was included in the land of 1913. The one gets a 40% - 60% land distribution and even a 50 - 50 depending on how it is calculated. Until after the 1936 Act, there were attempts to incorporate these protectorates into South Africa.
"I do not see it as my responsibility to try and defend 1913. What I do believe, is that it would only be reasonable, if in our criticism, we to try and understand all the arguments and thoughts of 1913," Dr. Mulder said.
As to the reasons why the incorporation did not succeed, he said that there had been many other views about the incorporation.
The chiefs of these protectorates seriously objected to the British in London against incorporation. Eventually they succeeded and in 1966 and -68 these areas became independent, which created the current set of facts.
According to Dr. Mulder it is not wrong to hold debates on history. But such a debate is only sensible if something could be learnt from it from the future.
"The past cannot be changed through a lot of talking. That is why the FF Plus does not believe in a better past but in a better future. Little has been said about what we have learnt from the past and how we can succeed with land reform in 2013 without causing famine.
"Nothing has been said about how food will be provided for 52 million South Africans, of whom 70% will shortly be living in urban areas and this, while we only have 13% of good agricultural land. Little has been said about how we could better utilise the thousands of hectares of communal land.
"These are issues for the future and the debate which we should now be having if we want to make South Africa a better place for all," Dr. Mulder said.
Issued by Dr. Pieter Mulder, FF Plus leader, June 20 2013
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