A lot has been going on in South Africa recently. You may not have heard of any of it though, as the countries issues are apparently not much of a concern for American media. What I am talking about is the planned, legal, massive expropriation of farmlands owned by white South Africans.

The action has been officially sanctioned by South Africa’s new president, Cyril Ramaphosa. The reasoning for the action lies in the history of the nation itself. White settlers first arrived in the southernmost country in Africa in the 1650’s. After achieving freedom from Britain and official nationhood, a Jim Crow-esque system of racial inequality was established to ensure white-minority dominance over the region. Apartheid, as it was called, ended in 1994 and a black-majority rule was established under the African National Congress party. As such, most of the productive farmland still lay in the hands of old white South African families.

The new president intends to rectify this in a reckless move. All white farmland is slated to be taken by the state and redistributed to black families. This will most likely devastate the country’s economy and severely hurt their chances of staving off the wide-scale droughts that are on their way. One only needs to look to Zimbabwe for proof of these undesirable outcomes. That country’s government tried the same policies against their white farmers years ago. After failed crops, poor management, and major losses for the economy the new government their recently invited all former white farmers to return to their homes. I don’t understand how South Africa cannot learn from Zimbabwe’s mistake.

I understand the reasoning behind it. Centuries under a colonial yoke would make anyone hate their former oppressors. That is the key word, however, former. The current white population of South Africa was born into a system, just like every other human. They live their lives out objectively within that system. Violence does not recompense violence, and the move will surely lead to violence. Ever since the end of apartheid black-on-white violence has steadily increased anyway, with many attacks occurring on farms. Some estimates now put the toll at more than one white South African murdered per week.

If this plan is followed through with, the world will be faced with yet another massive refugee crisis. Tens of thousands will be displaced, and many thousands more will most likely seek refugee status to escape from the prejudice and hatred that they now face in their own country. Thankfully, Australia has a plan in the works to implement a fast-track visa program for displaced South Africans.

Regardless of race, religion, history, whatever, all people deserve to have the rights to pursue happiness and live in peace. This situation is no different.