Ernst Roets Targets South Africa’s Land Reform Policies In Fresh Push For Decentralisation

Ernst Roets, executive director of Lex Libertas, has announced plans to engage South Africa’s Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development over what he describes as racial exclusion in government land policies.

In a post on X, Roets said his organisation would soon publish a report examining racial exclusion by the South African government, the shortcomings of land reform and possible solutions. He reiterated that decentralisation remained the organisation’s ultimate objective.

“We’re going to discuss racial exclusion with the Minister of Land Reform. We will soon publish a report on racial exclusion by the SA government, the extent of the failure of land reform, and propose what could be done. Our ultimate objective remains decentralisation,” Roets stated.

Lex Libertas has argued that such criteria amount to racial exclusion, regardless of an applicant’s farming experience or ability to operate the land productively. The organisation intends to use its forthcoming report to present its objections and propose changes to the country’s land reform approach.

Roets is a prominent South African political activist and writer who previously served as AfriForum’s deputy chief executive and later headed policy at the Solidarity Movement. He left the Solidarity Movement in February 2025 and subsequently became associated with Lex Libertas, an organisation advocating for minority rights, property rights and decentralised governance.

His emphasis on decentralisation reflects a broader argument that South Africa’s highly centralised political system should give communities greater control over their affairs. Roets has also promoted greater autonomy and self-governance as potential ways to address political and policy disputes.

The minister Roets intends to approach is Mzwanele Nyhontso, who heads the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development. The department’s stated mandate includes equitable access to land, restitution of land rights, tenure security and support for sustainable rural livelihoods.

The dispute highlights competing perspectives on land reform, which is intended to address the historical dispossession and inequalities created under apartheid. While the government’s policy framework prioritises equitable access and redress, Lex Libertas argues that race-based eligibility rules risk excluding individuals on racial grounds.

Roets’s proposed report is expected to set out the organisation’s assessment of these policies and its recommendations. However, the announcement does not establish whether the minister has agreed to a meeting or when the report will be released.

The planned engagement could provide a further platform for debate over land allocation, racial redress and the future structure of governance in South Africa.

Source: https://x.com/ernstroets/status/2114758998075281484?s=46

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