How to fix apartheid’s spatial inequities

This article outlines practical, non-disruptive measures that the South African government can take to address the spatial inequalities left by apartheid, without triggering another land expropriation crisis. Key proposals include reintroducing site value rating (SVR) -taxing land only, not buildings, to discourage speculation and encourage redevelopment, particularly in neglected city centres. It also calls for issuing title deeds to millions of township residents to strengthen property rights, promote accountability, and improve municipal revenue collection. In rural areas, a modest land value tax is suggested to push idle agricultural land into productive use, especially in the underutilised former homelands. The article further recommends streamlining bureaucratic delays in farming approvals and reforming mining tax policy to better respond to price fluctuations, avoiding premature closures and job losses.

Drawing from international examples like Norway, it encourages fairer taxation of natural resource sectors to ensure long-term national benefit. Overall, the article argues for practical reforms that align incentives for growth while tackling deep-rooted spatial inequality.

Abstract based on original source.