Success of South African land reform project counters Trump’s claims: Video
South Africa’s land reform program has been under international scrutiny, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump accused the government of seizing white-owned land.
However, a successful collaboration in Matsamo County between new and former landowners challenges these claims, showcasing an effective and cooperative model of land redistribution.
Bernard Shabangu, acting secretary of the Matsamo Community Property Association (CPA), is among those who have benefited from the program. Despite his ancestors' land being taken during the Apartheid era, he emphasizes the importance of collaboration.
“We felt that chasing away the whites who used to run this farm would be counterproductive,” Shabangu explained. Instead, the community partnered with experienced former landowners, ensuring both knowledge transfer and financial investment.
James Chance, the managing director of Tomahawk Farming Operations and a former landowner, initially feared for the future. “We were very worried, no one knew really what was going to happen. At one stage, I was even looking at growing bananas in Uganda because I didn’t know what the future held,” he said. However, instead of resisting the land claims, Chance and other farmers opted to cooperate, facilitating a smooth transition.
The partnership has yielded significant economic benefits. “From the start of the partnership with Tomahawk up to now, 350 million rand has been invested here,” Shabangu noted. “If we were a community asked to invest that amount, we might not have had the capital. But with this partnership, the investment has come, leading to stability in the community. People are receiving dividends, their children are being educated, and some are employed in the operation—it’s a win-win situation.”
