# Will South Africa go the way of Zimbabwe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 9, 2011, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-south-africa-go-the-way-of-zimbabwe/581248 "2011-05-09T09:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Chen019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@Chen019](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chen019)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-south-africa-go-the-way-of-zimbabwe/581248/402 "2012-11-08T21:05:26Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > You’re a little late to the thread to be bringing up bullshit that’s already been covered here and elsewhere re: land reform. tldr: SA is different from Zim, even identical policies would have different outcomes, not that the policies are identical. The outcomes would be largely the same based on experience to date. > **[Failure of South African land reform](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-21-la-fg-south-africa-farms-20101121-story.html)** > > Failure of South African land reform ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-south-africa-go-the-way-of-zimbabwe/581248/403 "2012-11-09T20:28:11Z")
Like I said, the same bullshit that we already covered. ---
**Author:** ![Chen019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@Chen019](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chen019)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-south-africa-go-the-way-of-zimbabwe/581248/404 "2012-11-12T03:53:40Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Like I said, the same bullshit that we already covered. I just read through the thread and must have missed your treatment of that subject. The fact remains, the evidence to date suggests that that kind of land reform hasn’t worked. Perhaps you have some reason for thinking otherwise, but you haven’t explained it. > [@](#): > > The South African government’s efforts to redress the wrongs of apartheid by buying farms from willing white owners and giving them to blacks has been a failure, with many of the new owners having little experience to make a success of it. The policy has also stirred racial tensions. > November 21, 2010|By Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times > **[Failure of South African land reform](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-21-la-fg-south-africa-farms-20101121-story.html)** > > Failure of South African land reform ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-south-africa-go-the-way-of-zimbabwe/581248/405 "2012-11-12T07:50:51Z")
Just like I said - in no way the same policies. No farms being seized, no White farmers being driven off their land. People who’ve never had the opportunity to run commercial farms before having a tough time of it? Big surprise. Complete failure of the policy? I don’t think so, it’s way too soon to tell - I believe the 10% [success](http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/agriculture_land_reform/land_reform_mentors_reap_new_farmer_success.html) rate will grow better over time, as expertise increases and diffuses into the community. It helps when the White farmers partner equally with the Black farmers - unlike the paranoid racist in that article of yours who won’t even let his own Black workers cross his house threshold. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-south-africa-go-the-way-of-zimbabwe/581248.md?page=20)