Elections 2026: What the ANC, DA, EFF and MK party say on land

With weeks to go before the local government elections on 4 November, South Africans continue debating who to vote for, as some say they intend to switch political homes for various reasons.

No party is perfect, but voters may choose one based on one or two policies that resonate with them. For some, a party’s immigration policy may matter more, while others care more about its education policy.

Here’s how the ANC, DA, EFF and MK party seek to break the deadlock on land. The issue of land in South Africa is a contentious one, evoking painful memories of the past and anger in those who were dispossessed by the apartheid regime and fear in those who have benefited from the system.

Land expropriation

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law in January 2025, following a five-year process of public consultation and parliamentary deliberation. At the time, he said the Act aligns legislation on expropriation with the constitution.

The Act also states that an expropriating authority must attempt to reach an agreement on the acquisition of the property before resorting to expropriation – except in circumstances where the right to use property temporarily is taken on an urgent basis in terms of a provision in the legislation.

However, it has faced legal challenges.

In August, AfriForum, the DA, and the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) argued in the Western Cape High Court against sections of the Expropriation Act. The court postponed the case because not all legal teams had the opportunity to present their arguments.

Here’s what the four biggest political parties say on this issue.

ANC

The ANC’s policy aims to correct historical dispossession by accelerating land reform and redistribution, including expropriation without compensation in appropriate circumstances.

However, it retains different forms of land ownership to avoid redistributions and restitutions that do not generate aggregate net benefits in livelihoods, employment and income from farming.

A land reform process championed by the ANC will consist of two elements: restitution for those who were dispossessed by apartheid forced removals, and a process of redistribution to deal with land hunger and the unequal distribution of land.

“A clear purpose of both redistribution and restitution will be to continue offering the landless with access to land for residential and productive uses, in order to improve their income and quality of life. The rationale and purpose should be to avoid underutilisation of land as a result of land reform, provide planning and post-settlement support, and devise sustainability programmes aimed at reducing inequality and poverty and bridging the gap between the first and second economies.”

EFF

For the EFF, the issue of land is also about the reversal of the dispossession of black people by the apartheid regime.

The EFF believes land reform should occur in two ways: through revolution or through laws proclaimed by the government.

The party wants a constitutional amendment that would make it legally permissible for the state to expropriate land without compensation. Other forms of property are excluded from this. The expropriated land must then be placed under the custodianship of the state, which will administer and redistribute it equitably to all South Africans for residential and productive use.

This means private ownership will end, and the state will manage and administer land on behalf of the people. The state must then allocate land-use rights to the people fairly and equitably, prioritising African people.

Under the EFF’s policy, no one will lose their house as a result of expropriation without compensation.

“A house consists of immovable property that is a product of an individual’s labour and, therefore, the private property of that individual. This means that while homeowners’ rights to their homes are secure, any other land outside the homeowners’ plot automatically passes to the state.”

DA

For the DA, land reform faces challenges due to inefficiency, corruption and unclear policies.

“Many South Africans, especially those historically disadvantaged, remain landless or lack secure tenure. The apartheid regime’s legacy of unequal land distribution continues to create economic, social, and cultural divides. Land reform initiatives have also been slow and marred by inefficiencies, particularly around restitution and redistribution,” the party says.

For the DA, all citizens must have equitable access to land ownership while private property rights are protected. This will create an inclusive economy by increasing opportunities for South Africans to own and use the land they live on productively.

The DA is committed to resolving dispossessions by the apartheid regime; however, this should be done without destabilising the economy, it argues.

The party recommends establishing a clear, transparent beneficiary selection process for land redistribution. It also seeks to develop contract farming models, where buyers and farmers enter into agreements in advance in anticipation of seasonal produce.

Commercially viable farms must not be targeted for expropriation or redistribution either, unless there is a strong case for doing so. The DA’s plan emphasises using government-owned land primarily, obtaining private land with owner consent, utilising purchase grants, effectively using municipal commonages, and implementing a mixed-use model for redistribution.

The policy also advocates increasing devolution of powers by granting well-functioning provincial governments more redistribution functions and funding.

MK party

The MK party argues that all land must be expropriated without compensation, transferring ownership to the people under the custodianship of the state and traditional leaders.

The party’s policy advocates for establishing guidelines for the state to lease land to citizens for various purposes, based on a comprehensive national development plan.

The state must also equitably distribute farmland, divide it equally among the farming population, and provide financial aid, research support and marketing guidance to help newly settled farmers succeed.

This would alleviate poverty, unemployment and inequality stemming from the theft of land.

“Land dispossession in South Africa stripped indigenous populations of their dignity and assets, reducing them to exploitation as labourers for Western colonisers. Agriculture, a sector with significant potential for employment and economic activity, can be unleashed by equitable land reform,” argues the party.

The ANC, DA, EFF and MK party all acknowledge the country’s history of dispossession, but they differ on whether land should be transferred to the state, redistributed to individuals and communities or acquired through the willing seller, willing buyer premise.

While the MK party’s policy targets all land, the EFF and DA make an exception for private property, with the DA specifically targeting state-owned land and the ANC saying land should not be redistributed if it will not be beneficial to the economy.