Human Rights Day: Ramaphosa defends land restitution, hails it as instrument to restore “dignity for all”

By Akani Nkuna

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday defended South Africa’s land restitution program, saying it is not only about correcting historical injustices but also about restoring dignity to people still excluded from the economy.

“There are some who say that there is no longer any need for affirmative action and employment equity, and they say there is no need for land reform or restitution,” Ramaphosa said.

“Yet we know that restitution is not only about compensation or redress for what happened in the past. It is central to building a just society that upholds the dignity for all.”

Ramaphosa was speaking at a Human Rights Day event in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, marking 66 years since the Sharpeville Massacre, when police shot and killed dozens of black protesters demonstrating against apartheid laws.

His remarks come as the government continues to implement land reform under the Restitution of Land