Promised Land: Exploring South Africa’s Land Conflict

by Karl Kemp

Land reform and the possibility of expropriation without compensation are among the most hotly debated topics in South Africa today, met with trepidation and fervour in equal measure. But these broader issues tend to obscure a more immediate a severe housing crisis and a sharp increase in urban land occupations In Promised Land, Karl Kemp travels the country documenting the fallout of failing land reform, from the under-siege Philippi Horticultural Area deep in the heart of Cape Town’s ganglands to the burning mango groves of Tzaneen, from Johannesburg’s lawless Deep South to rural KwaZulu-Natal, where chiefs own vast tracts of land on behalf of their subjects. He visits farming communities beset by violent crime, and provides gripping, on-the-ground reporting of recent land invasions, with perspectives from all sides, including land activists, property owners and government officials. Kemp also looks at burning issues surrounding the land debate in South Africa – corruption, farm murders, illegal foreign labour, mechanisation and eviction – and reveals the views of those affected. Touching on the history of land conflict and conquest in each area, as well as detailing the current situation on the ground, Promised Land provides startling insights into the story of land conflict in South Africa.

534 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2020

Reviews

[Stéphanie Harel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karl Kemp’s deep dive into the land crisis in South Africa is essential reading for every South African. It’s confusing, uncomfortable, disturbing - and Kemp captures those feelings remarkably well. There is a cynical glimmer of hope though - no politician nor political party is able to articulate the spectrum of the land crisis, let alone find solutions to resolve it. So don’t be intimated by any political party who claim they have what it takes to remedy the issue - threatening or benevolent cures - there are none. No political messiah can fix this. The complexity is way too thick and entangled for anyone, regardless of status, to do anything about. The land crisis is a law onto itself. It disregards the legal system, politics, policies, personalities, history. It doesn’t care. It morphs, spreads, grabs in twists and turns impossible to fathom. It is scorched earth policy on steroids. To my mind, the more the country’s governance disintegrates, the more entrenched the land crisis will remain. Kemp has style - to write about such a messy topic steeped in solid research with fictional flair keeping the reader entertained all the way is a unique talent. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book cover to cover in such short a stint. His investigations deep in the heart of South Africa’s most feared townships kept me reading at ungodly hours.

[Gordon Miskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant