#sapolitics

South African law is stacked against Black people trying to claim back land stolen during apartheid and colonial eras. Politician Zwelakhe Mthethwa warns it’s based on Roman-Dutch and British legal systems, which force claimants to go through the “eye of a needle” when trying to take back property. A new Expropriation Act was signed into law last year, aimed at tackling the land injustice, but it still isn't operational. Mr Mthethwa was speaking at the Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development in June 2025. Around 70% of South Africa’s farmland is still owned by whites, who make up about 7% of the population.