One of the quiet secrets behind Western civilisation’s rise is the protection of private property. This principle is not just about owning a piece of land or a home. It means that individuals have the right to keep and benefit from what they earn or create, and that these rights are backed by clear laws, courts, and contracts. Wherever property rights are upheld, families and businesses have the confidence to invest, work, and innovate. The results are prosperity, stability, and opportunity.

In countries like Britain and the United States, property rights formed the backbone of economic growth for centuries. Farmers improved land, inventors built businesses, and generations accumulated assets that could be passed on. With property secure, people could plan for the future, borrow to start companies, and participate in markets that rewarded effort and ideas. Social mobility was not just possible, but expected.

The opposite is equally true. Where property rights are weak or easily overturned by political whim, economies stagnate and poverty persists. Zimbabwe provides a sobering example. In the early 2000s, the government moved to seize commercial farms without compensation, redistributing land along political and group lines. This not only devastated agricultural production but also led to job losses, food shortages, and a rapid collapse of trust in the economy. Investors, both local and foreign, pulled out and ordinary people saw their life savings vanish as the currency collapsed.

South Africa must face up to these realities. Policies around expropriation and aggressive state intervention have increased uncertainty and slowed investment in farming and industry. Instead of fostering growth and redress, attacks on property rights can discourage new projects, push skills abroad, and breed social tension, ultimately hurting those who most need opportunity.

By contrast, societies that uphold the rule of law and protect property for all citizens, not just the well-connected, are the ones that deliver long-term upliftment. When people know their hard work will not be arbitrarily taken or undone, they build, invent, and create with confidence.

Defending property rights is not just an economic issue but a foundation for dignity, stability, and freedom. Secure property rights give individuals and families a stake in society’s future and a reason to invest in its success.