The Agrarian Land Question in South Africa in Its Historical Context, 1652-1988

A bstract . The highly uneven land distribution in South Africa which favors the White ruling minority has its roots in many historical events and legislative measures. These include the "Great Trek" (the migration of Dutch farmers into the interior of South Africa), squatter laws in British colonies and Dutch republics , and the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910 whose parliament immediately took up the issue of land distribution and passed the ultimate land expropriation legislation, the Natives Land Act (1913), No. 27. Since the passage of this landmark act, indigenous Africans have been virtually landless while South Africa has emerged as one of the world's most economically advanced nations.