Efforts to resolve the imbalances in post-apartheid South Africa, where the country’s white minority is considered by many of the majority black population to own a disproportionate amount of land, could have a negative effect on the regional economy. South Africa is the biggest economy in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Its economy intertwines with those of several neighboring countries who are dependent on it for manufactured goods and supplies. In this regard, South Africa cannot afford to have a chaotic land redistribution exercise like the one witnessed in Zimbabwe in the early years of this century. The lessons from neighbor Zimbabwe cannot be overemphasized. Chaotic land redistribution has cost Zimbabwe close to two decades of economic decay. Agriculture, which was the main pillar of the economy, collapsed and the country is struggling to return to its former glory. Privilege Musvanhiri is a DW correspondent based in Harare, Zimbabwe Need to put reason before populism When former president Robert Mugabe allowed the compulsory acquisition of land in Zimbabwe, he failed to understand that land goes beyond farming and is interlinked with the rest of the economy. Zimbabwean economist John Robertson wrote in a paper published in November 2017 by The…