Most 100 year anniversaries are moments of happiness - an occasion to mark with joyous celebration. In June, South Africa will be marking a very different anniversary. This year marks 100 years since the promulgation of the 1913 Natives Land Act that saw thousands of black families forcibly removed from their land by the apartheid government.
The Act became law on 19 June 1913 limiting African land ownership to 7 per cent and later 13 per cent through the 1936 Native Trust and Land Act of South Africa.
The Act restricted black people from buying or occupying land except as employees of a white master. It opened the door for white ownership of 87 per cent of land, leaving black people to scramble for what was left.
What unfolded close to 100 years ago is nightmarish. It is unimaginable to think that the place you call home one day can be taken away from you, that life as you know it would change in an instant, forcing you to start again from the ashes of the life you once knew.
Looking back, it is clear that apartheid truly was an evil system which systematically robbed people of their human dignity and rights. This brutal legislation not only deprived black people of their land it also tore families apart. Once the law was passed, the apartheid government began the mass relocation of black people to poor homelands and to poorly planned and serviced townships.
No longer able to provide for themselves and their families, people were forced to look for work far away from their homes. President Jacob Zuma rightly observed that the move marked the beginning of socio-economic challenges the country is facing today such as landlessness, poverty and inequality.
It is against this backdrop that black people found themselves displaced in their own land. In the words of African intellectual and activist Sol Plaatje: "Awaking on Friday morning, June 20, 1913, the South African native found himself, not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth."
While the Act dispossessing black people of their land was promulgated in 1913, the dispossession of land began much earlier. The Act was also followed by a number of laws such as Natives Administration Act and Natives Urban Areas Act which severely restricted and repressed black people. The loss of land meant that black people had lost their gateway to livelihood and resources such as crops and livestock.
The Land Act was finally repealed when The Abolition of Racially Based Land Measures Act, 1991 (Act No. 108 of 1991) came into force on 30 June 1991.
The question of land still permeates our society and the centenary will bring the issue fore once more. Winston Churchill said that: "Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it."
As the country prepares to commemorate the 100 year anniversary on 19 June, efforts to undo this historical injustice continue apace, albeit at a slower rate than anticipated. While this 100 years anniversary reminds us never to forget out brutal past, it critically calls on us to celebrate some of the successes we have made in reversing the injustices that were brought by these laws.
Driving the process of land restitution is the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti. Following the democratic elections of 1994, the Government undertook to transfer 30 per cent of the land (24,5 million hectares) to black farmers by 2014, a target that seems unlikely to be met.
Thus far about three million hectares have been redistributed to communities, which constitute only 7 per cent of the set target of 30 per cent. Critics often point to the slow pace as proof that the land reform plan has failed. But land reform is about much more than just mere numbers.
Land reform has four pillars: redistribution, restitution, development and tenure reform. In a speech in Parliament on February 19, Minister Nkwinti said that until the establishment of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in 2009, land reform had been narrowly interpreted to refer to the first two pillars. “The result has been a focus on the number of farms and hectares transferred from white owners to black claimants or beneficiaries of the land reform pogrammes”, he said.
Speaking to GCIS’ Public Sector Magazine recently, Minister Nkwinti said the aim of land reform should not just be how much land is given back to people, but how to equip land claimants with skills to create jobs, ensure food security, attract young people into farming and sustain farms for future generations.
If we narrowly focus on numbers alone we risk not learning from our past. Today’s world is a lifetime away from that of 1913, where farming and rural communities formed the backbone of society. Large swathes of society now live in urban areas and are unlikely to embrace farming as a career. Figures from the land restitution programme bear this out as 71 292 people have opted for financial compensation claims over land claims.
The land question will always be an emotive one that at times requires the “wisdom of Solomon”. On June 19, the nation will look back on our dark past and reflect how far we have come. Undoubtedly there have been many successes and we have largely succeeded in restoring the human dignity of people and communities who lost their land. But we are aware that much more must still be done.
Land reform and land restitution will continue well beyond the 100 year centenary on 19 June. Our common struggle in the future will be to sustain the land we have, to ensure food security and to create sustainable jobs in farming areas.
Phumla Williams is Acting CEO of the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS)
Maadhimisho mengi ya miaka 100 ni wakati wa furaha - pindi ya kuadhimisha kwa sherehe ya shangwe. Mnamo Juni, Afrika Kusini itasherehekea maadhimisho ya miaka tofauti sana. Mwaka huu ni miaka 100 tangu kutolewa kwa sheria ya ardhi ya wenyeji ya mwaka 1913, ambayo ilifanya maelfu ya familia za watu weusi kuhamishwa kwa nguvu kutoka kwenye ardhi yao na serikali ya ubaguzi wa rangi. Sheria hiyo ilikuja kuwa sheria mnamo Juni 19, 1913, ikipunguza umiliki wa ardhi ya Waafrika hadi 7% na baadaye 13% kupitia Sheria ya Uaminifu na Ardhi ya Wenyeji wa Afrika Kusini ya 1936. Sheria hiyo iliwakataza watu weusi kununua au kumiliki ardhi isipokuwa kama wafanyakazi wa bwana mweupe. Mkataba huo ulifanya iwezekane kwa wazungu kumiliki asilimia 87 ya ardhi, na kuwaachia watu weusi wakijitahidi kupata kile kilichobaki. Kile kilichotokea karibu miaka 100 iliyopita ni jambo la kutisha. Ni jambo lisilowezekana kufikiria kwamba mahali unapoita nyumbani siku moja linaweza kuchukuliwa kutoka kwako, kwamba maisha kama unavyoyajua yatabadilika kwa muda mfupi, kukulazimisha kuanza tena kutoka kwa majivu ya maisha uliyoyajua hapo awali. Kwa kuangalia nyuma, ni wazi kwamba ubaguzi wa rangi kweli ulikuwa mfumo mbaya ambao kwa utaratibu uliwaibia watu hadhi yao ya kibinadamu na haki zao. Sheria hiyo ya kikatili haikuacha tu watu weusi wakikosa ardhi yao bali pia ilivunja familia. Baada ya sheria hiyo kupitishwa, serikali ya ubaguzi wa rangi ilianza kuhamisha watu weusi kwa wingi kwenye maeneo maskini na katika miji iliyopangwa vibaya na isiyo na huduma. Kwa kuwa hawangeweza kujitegemeza wenyewe na familia zao, walilazimika kutafuta kazi mbali na nyumbani kwao. Rais Jacob Zuma alisema hatua hiyo ilikuwa mwanzo wa changamoto za kijamii na kiuchumi ambazo nchi inakabiliwa nazo leo kama vile ukosefu wa ardhi, umaskini na ukosefu wa usawa. Ni dhidi ya mazingira haya kwamba watu weusi walijikuta wamehamishwa katika nchi yao wenyewe. "Mwanamke mmoja wa Afrika, Sol Plaatje, aliandika hivi: ""Nilipoamka siku ya Ijumaa asubuhi, Juni 20, 1913, nilijikuta si mtumwa bali mtu aliyeachwa katika nchi niliyozaliwa." Sheria ya kuondoa ardhi ya watu weusi ilitolewa mwaka 1913, lakini watu walianza kuondoa ardhi yao mapema. Sheria hiyo ilifuatwa na sheria kadhaa kama vile Sheria ya Usimamizi wa Wenyeji wa Asili na Sheria ya Maeneo ya Miji ya Wenyeji wa Asili ambayo iliwekea vikwazo vikali na kuwazuia watu weusi. Kwa sababu ya kupoteza ardhi, watu weusi walipoteza njia ya kupata riziki na mali kama vile mazao na mifugo. Sheria ya ardhi ilifutwa mwaka 1991 na kuondolewa kwa sheria ya ardhi ya ukabila (The Abolition of Racially Based Land Measures Act, 1991). (Kutoka 108, 1991) ilianza kutumika tarehe 30 Juni 1991. Suala la ardhi bado linatawala katika jamii yetu na maadhimisho ya miaka mia moja yataleta suala hilo mbele tena. "Winston Churchill alisema, ""Wale ambao wanashindwa kujifunza kutoka kwa historia, wameahidiwa kuirudia.""" Wakati nchi hiyo inapojiandaa kuadhimisha miaka 100 tangu kuanzishwa kwake, juhudi za kurekebisha ukosefu huu wa haki wa kihistoria zinaendelea kwa kasi, ingawa kwa kasi ya chini kuliko ilivyotarajiwa. """Wakati maadhimisho ya miaka 100 yanatukumbusha kutosahau kamwe wakati uliopita wa ukatili, inatuomba kwa dhati kusherehekea baadhi ya mafanikio ambayo tumefanya katika kubadilisha ukosefu wa haki ambao uliletwa na sheria hizi." Msimamo wa mchakato wa kurudishwa kwa ardhi unaongozwa na Waziri wa Maendeleo ya Vijijini na Marekebisho ya Ardhi, Gugile Nkwinti. Baada ya uchaguzi wa kidemokrasia wa 1994, serikali ilijitolea kuhamisha asilimia 30 ya ardhi (hekita milioni 24.5) kwa wakulima weusi ifikapo mwaka 2014, lengo ambalo linaonekana kuwa halitaweza kutimizwa. Hadi sasa, karibu hekta milioni tatu zimesambazwa kwa jamii, ambazo zinawakilisha asilimia 7 tu ya lengo la asilimia 30. Mara nyingi wakosoaji huonyesha mwendo wa polepole kuwa uthibitisho kwamba mpango wa mageuzi ya ardhi umeshindwa. Lakini marekebisho ya ardhi yanahusu mengi zaidi ya idadi tu. Marekebisho ya ardhi yana nguzo nne: usambazaji upya, kurudishwa, maendeleo na marekebisho ya umiliki. Katika hotuba yake katika Bunge la Kenya Februari 19, Waziri Nkwinti alisema kwamba hadi kuanzishwa kwa Idara ya Maendeleo ya Vijijini na Marekebisho ya Ardhi mnamo 2009, marekebisho ya ardhi yalikuwa yametafsiriwa kwa njia nyembamba kurejelea nguzo mbili za kwanza. "Matokeo yamekuwa kuzingatia idadi ya mashamba na ekari zilizohamishwa kutoka kwa wamiliki weupe kwenda kwa wanadai weusi au wanunuzi wa mipango ya mageuzi ya ardhi", alisema. Akizungumza na jarida la GCIS Public Sector Magazine, Waziri Nkwinti alisema lengo la mageuzi ya ardhi haipaswi kuwa ni kiasi gani cha ardhi kinachotolewa kwa watu, lakini jinsi ya kuwapa wenye haki ya ardhi ujuzi wa kuunda ajira, kuhakikisha usalama wa chakula, kuvutia vijana katika kilimo na kudumisha mashamba kwa vizazi vijavyo. Ikiwa tutazingatia tu idadi tu tunahatarisha kutojifunza kutoka kwa wakati wetu uliopita. Ulimwengu wa leo ni maisha mbali na ile ya 1913, ambapo kilimo na jamii za vijijini ziliunda uti wa mgongo wa jamii. Sehemu kubwa ya jamii sasa huishi katika maeneo ya mijini na haiwezekani kufurahia kilimo kama kazi. Takwimu za programu ya kurudisha ardhi zinaonyesha kuwa watu 71,292 wamechagua madai ya fidia ya kifedha badala ya madai ya ardhi. Swali la ardhi sikuzote litakuwa lenye kuchochea hisia ambalo nyakati nyingine huhitaji "hekima ya Sulemani". """Kama ilivyo leo, Juni 19, taifa litatazama nyuma kwenye wakati wetu wa giza na kutafakari jinsi tulivyokuja mbali." Bila shaka, mafanikio mengi yamepatikana na tumefanikiwa sana katika kurudisha heshima ya kibinadamu kwa watu na jamii ambazo zilipoteza ardhi yao. Lakini tunajua kwamba bado kuna mengi ya kufanywa. Mabadiliko ya ardhi na kurudishwa kwa ardhi yataendelea baada ya maadhimisho ya miaka 100 ya miaka hiyo mnamo Juni 19. """Pambano letu la pamoja katika siku zijazo litakuwa ni kuhifadhi ardhi tuliyo nayo, kuhakikisha usalama wa chakula na kuunda ajira endelevu katika maeneo ya kilimo." Phumla Williams ni Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Serikali Mawasiliano na Habari System (GCIS)