Beware the negativity bias and land ownership myth

Many of us believe that government is tardy on delivering title deeds to applicants, but a quick Internet search will dispell this idea.

- Peter Hughes

Government seems to be waking up to the power of private land ownership, but it may not be enough to keep all farmers on the land.

WHAT ARE YOUR BIASES?

Humans are riddled with biases. One of the most prevalent is the hunger for bad news. It’s a fact: most people are drawn to depressing stories and that’s why newspapers and TV are filled with disaster, corruption and incompetence. These are the stories that sell. It’s known as the ‘negativity bias’.

I’m aware of it and I’m afraid of it, and always on the lookout for good news to counter the deluge of bad news. That’s why a recent headline in Farmer’s Weekly, ‘Farmers go into the new year with good news about title deeds’, caught my eye (2 February 2024).

The article, by economist Dr Sifiso Ntombela, provides a brief history of land reform in South Africa and reports on government’s recent roadshow informing farmers leasing land from them that they will soon receive title deeds. Great news, as it creates an opportunity for them to build value in their businesses and provide collateral for working capital loans.

However, given the numerous broken promises and plans gathering dust in government offices, my negative bias kicked in. Attempting to assess the reliability of previous promises to deliver title deeds, I did a quick Google search. It dispelled my pessimism. The keywords ‘title deeds handed over 2024’ elicited a flood of stories from 2021 to 2024.

HERE’S A SAMPLE OF A JUST A FEW