What can land reform achieve in the 2020s? Historical and comparative reflections on the potential of land redistribution to contribute to transformation and poverty alleviation in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-34
Author(s):  
Peter Delius ◽  
Stefan Schirmer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Land Redistribution

LAND REFORM IN SOUTH AFRICA: OBSTINATE SPACIAL DISTORTIONS

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Manala Shadrack Maake
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Land Claims ◽  
Tenure Reform ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Reform Programme ◽  
Theoretical Paper

This theoretical paper seeks to make an empirical contribution to the Land Reform discourses. The paper argues that the pace of land redistribution in South Africa is undeniably slow and limits livelihood choices of relatively most intended beneficiaries of land reform programme. The primacy and success of the programme within rural development ought to measured and assessed through ways in which the land reform programmes conforms to and improve the livelihoods, ambitions and goals of the intended beneficiaries without compromising agricultural production and the economy. In addition, paper highlights the slow pace of land reform programme and its implications on socio-economic transformation of South Africa. Subsequently, the paper concludes through demonstrating the need for a radical approach towards land reform without disrupting agricultural production and further to secure support and coordination of spheres of government. The democratic government in South Africa inherited a country which characterized by extreme racial imbalances epitomized through social relations of land and spatial distortions. Non-white South Africans are still feeling the effects of colonial and apartheid legal enactments which sought to segregate ownership of resources on the basis of race in particular. Thus, successive democratic governments have the specific mandate to re-design and improve land reform policies which are targeted to reverse colonially fueled spatial distortions. South Africa’s overall Land Reform programme consists of three key elements and namely are; land redistribution, tenure reform and land restitution. Concomitantly, spatial proponents and researchers have denounced and embraced land reform ideology and its status quo in South Africa. The criticisms overlapped towards both beneficiaries and state due to factors like poor post-settlement support, lack of skills, lack of capital, infighting over land claims and land management.

Between Global Interests and Local Needs: Conservation and Land Reform in Namaqualand, South Africa

Africa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tor A. Benjaminsen ◽  
Thembela Kepe ◽  
Stine Bråthen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Community Based Conservation ◽  
Policy Shift ◽  
The Creation

This article presents the case of the creation and expansion of Namaqua National Park in Namaqualand, South Africa, to highlight the contradictions between global interests in biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods. Despite the policy shift in the conservation literature from ‘fortress’ to community-based conservation, we argue that in practice conservation still tends to dominate when there is a trade-off between Western-style conservation and support to the livelihoods of marginalized communities. This can again be explained by the hegemony of a conservation discourse that is shared by a network of actors. The article highlights the role played by powerful environmental organizations and wealthy individuals supporting conservation at the expense of land redistribution in Namaqualand. The combination of scientific research and finances provided by this actor-network aided the creation and expansion of the Park. Local people, however, see the expansion of the Park as direct and unfair competition for land that they wish to acquire through the land redistribution programme, as well as an indirect challenge to their local livelihoods. Whatever the merits of their case, it seems clear that communities aspiring to more land, together with advocates of human rights and poverty alleviation, remain on the margins in terms of policy influence, especially when they pursue goals that are perceived by the conservation advocates to be in conflict with those of biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals Assessing a potential solution for spatially referencing of historical aerial photography in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Michele Denner ◽  
Jacobus H. Raubenheimer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Aerial Photography ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Reference Image ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Historical Aerial Photography ◽  
Mixed Land Use ◽  
Historical Image ◽  
Past Injustices

Historical aerial photography has become a valuable commodity in any country, as it provides a precise record of historical land management over time. In a developing country, such as South Africa, that has undergone enormous political and social change over the last years, such photography is invaluable as it provides a clear indication of past injustices and serves as an aid to addressing post-apartheid issues such as land reform and land redistribution. National mapping organisations throughout the world have vast repositories of such historical aerial photography. In order to effectively use these datasets in today’s digital environment requires that it be georeferenced to an accuracy that is suitable for the intended purpose. Using image-to-image georeferencing techniques, this research sought to determine the accuracies achievable for ortho-rectifying large volumes of historical aerial imagery, against the national standard for ortho-rectification in South Africa, using two different types of scanning equipment. The research conducted four tests using aerial photography from different time epochs over a period of sixty years, where the ortho-rectification matched each test to an already ortho-rectified mosaic of a developed area of mixed land use. The results of each test were assessed in terms of visual accuracy, spatial accuracy and conformance to the national standard for ortho-rectification in South Africa. The results showed a decrease in the overall accuracy of the image as the epoch range between the historical image and the reference image increased. Recommendations on the applications possible given the different epoch ranges and scanning equipment used are provided.

Factors influencing savings among land reform beneficiaries in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Antwi ◽  
Clarietta Chagwiza
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North West ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of socio-economic factors of land redistribution for agricultural development project beneficiaries on savings in the North West Province, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach A binary logistic regression model was employed to determine the effects of socio-economic factors of project beneficiaries on their savings. Findings The results show that the average number of trainings attended by the beneficiaries, the proportion of youth per project and the average net farm income of the project positively and significantly influence the level of savings by the beneficiaries. About 62 percent of the beneficiaries did not have savings; thus, only 38 percent of beneficiaries had savings. Of the 38 percent who had savings, the majority (77 percent) had an annual net farm income of less than R1,000. Only 2 percent of the projects had an annual net farm income of more than R10,000. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study are valuable to policymakers dealing with the issue of land reform and could shed some light on how land redistribution can achieve its intended purposes. These findings should be granted serious consideration when formulating policies aimed at improving savings within collective groups. Practical implications The findings of this study have revealed the importance of training and participation of youth in influencing savings. As well, the findings imply that an organization or household with a health income have a higher propensity of saving. Social implications The research findings point out to the importance of saving. With savings, a household is in a better position to deal with situations that arises in case of emergency. Originality/value This paper is among the few studies to analyze the determinants of savings at a group or project level. Most studies are done at household or individual level.

A typology of emerging farmers in three rural provinces of South Africa: what are the implications for the land redistribution policy?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siphe Zantsi ◽  
Louw Petrus Pienaar ◽  
Jan C. Greyling
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Farm Production ◽  
Redistribution Policy

PurposeUnderstanding diversity amongst potential beneficiaries of land redistribution is of critical importance for both design and planning of successful land reform interventions. This study seeks to add to the existing literature on farming types, with specific emphasis on understanding diversity within a sub-group of commercially oriented or emerging smallholders.Design/methodology/approachUsing a multivariate statistical analysis – principal component and cluster analyses applied to a sample of 442 commercially-oriented smallholders – five distinct clusters of emerging farmers are identified, using variables related to farmers' characteristics, income and expenditure and farm production indicators and willingness to participate in land redistribution. The five clusters are discussed in light of a predefined selection criteria that is based on the current policies and scholarly thinking.FindingsThe results suggest that there are distinct differences in farming types, and each identified cluster of farmers requires tailored support for the effective implementation of land reform. The identified homogenous sub-groups of smallholders, allows us to understand which farmers could be a better target for a successful land redistribution policy.Originality/valueMost of the existing typology studies in South Africa tend to focus on general smallholders and in the Eastern Cape province; this study extends the literature by focussing on specific prime beneficiaries of land reform in three provinces. This study uses a more detailed dataset than the Statistics general and agricultural household surveys.

scholarly journals The Politics of Land Redistribution and its Implications for the Effectiveness of Land Reform Programmes: Evidence from South Africa and Zimbabwe

sjesr ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-124
Author(s):  
Sajjad Ali Khan ◽  
Abdul Shakoor ◽  
Ahmad Ali
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Center Stage ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Reform Programme ◽  
The World ◽  
Per Se

Land reform programmes around the world are often geared towards the accomplishment of a set of diverse goals. The process of land reform per se epitomizes a set of measures among which the redistribution of land among the poor takes center-stage and is generally regarded as the most consequential pre-requisite of an effective and successful land reform programme. This article seeks to examine the centrality of land re-distribution among the poor and the implications thereof for achievement of the broader set of goals through an analysis of land reform programmes carried out in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The findings demonstrate that in each of the two cases, the provision of land among the landless poor was overshadowed by political considerations during the process of distribution of land amongst the beneficiaries. The inequitable distribution in turn thwarted the accomplishment of the broader set of goals thus calling into question the effectiveness and success of such land reform programmes in each of the two countries.

scholarly journals Land Reform in South Africa: The Conversation That Never Took Place

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godswill Makombe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Land Ownership ◽  
Data Collection Tool ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Reform Programme ◽  
The Social ◽  
Land Restitution

After independence, South Africa embarked on a land reform programme that is meant to redress the highly inequitable land ownership which resulted from Apartheid. The programme comprises land redistribution, land restitution and land tenure. On restitution projects, the maintenance of production has been highly problematic. Loss of production means there is very little or no livelihoods impacts from restitution. The beneficiaries of restitution projects usually have neither farming experience nor capital to continue or restart the farm operations. As a result, most restitution projects are either non-functional or are functioning at a meager fraction of previous levels. Most studies on restitution have been carried out by studying the beneficiaries but not previous owners. I use the social constructivist paradigm to explore personal experience through engagement using the interview as a data collection tool. I explore the perspectives of a previous land owner who provides insights into how the restitution programme could be made more successful by letting a conversation occur between the previous owners and beneficiaries. I posit that it is essential to include the previous owners to reduce the trauma from loss of their lifestyle while also reducing beneficiaries’ trauma caused by lack of benefits from restitution.

Reconceptualising redistribution of land in South Africa: A possible legal framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-324
Author(s):  
Tina Kotzé ◽  
Juanita M Pienaar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Land Redistribution ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Main Emphasis ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Legislative Measures

After 27 years the unequal distribution of land in South Africa remains prevalent, despite a constitutional mandate, and corresponding legislative measures and policy documents. In light of the government’s dismal track record in achieving any meaning ful redistribution, this article suggests a possible overarching legal framework within which land redistribution in South Africa could be approached and, ultimately, monitored and adjusted as needed. This requires, from the outset, a contextualisation of relevant concepts of ‘access to land’ and ‘redistribution’ respectively. Thereafter, the article proposes seven different phases, comprising a coherent and broad legal framework for land redistribution. Where relevant, we consider recent developments, including the 2020 Beneficiary Policy and the 2019 Land Reform Report. While all land, urban as well as rural, is integral in the redistribution endeavour, the article’s main emphasis is on agricultural land: reference is made to urban and peri-urban land only where appropriate. The article concludes with an Annexure that contains a schematic overview of the suggested different phases, and the corresponding institutions we propose ought to be responsible for, or involved in administering, the respective phases.

Can SPLUMA Play a Role in Transforming Spatial Injustice to Spatial Justice in Housing in South Africa?

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannie Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
National Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spatial Development ◽  
Land Use Management ◽  
Spatial Justice ◽  
Spatial Environment

Our spatial environment is one of the most important determinants of our well-being and life chances. It relates to schools, opportunities, businesses, recreation and access to public services. Spatial injustice results where discrimination determines that spatial environment. Since Apartheid in South Africa epitomised the notion of spatial injustice, tools and instruments are required to transform spatial injustice into spatial justice. One of these is the employment of principles of spatial justice. While the National Development Plan (NDP) recognised that all spatial development should conform to certain normative principles and should explicitly indicate how the requirements of these should be met, the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) contains a more concrete principle of spatial justice. It echoes aspects of both the South African land reform programme and global principles of spatial justice. Essentially section 7(a) of SPLUMA entails three components: (1) redressing past spatial imbalances and exclusions; (2) including people and areas previously excluded and (3) upgrading informal areas and settlements. SPLUMA directs municipalities to apply the principle in its spatial development frameworks, land use schemes and, most importantly, in decision-making on development applications. The aim of this article is to determine whether the application of this principle in practice can move beyond the confines of spatial planning and land use management to address the housing issue in South Africa. Central to housing is section 26 of the Constitution, that has received the extensive attention of the Constitutional Court. The court has not hesitated to criticize the continuing existence of spatial injustice, thus contributing to the transformation of spatial injustice to spatial justice. Since planning, housing and land reform are all intertwined not only the role of SPLUMA, but also the NDP and the myriad other policies, programmes and legislation that are attempting to address the situation are examined and tested against the components of the principle of spatial justice in SPLUMA.

The Engagement of Beneficiaries in Farm Governance of Restituted Land through the Communal Property Association Model: The Ideal Versus the Reality of Beneficiary Farms in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokoko Piet Sebola ◽  
Malemela Angelinah Mamabolo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Communal Property ◽  
Farm Ownership ◽  
Land Restitution ◽  
Communal Property Associations

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the engagement of farm beneficiaries in South Africa in the governance of restituted farms through communal property associations. The South African government has already spent millions of rands on land restitution to correct the imbalance of the past with regard to farm ownership by the African communities. Various methods of farm management to benefit the African society have been proposed, however, with little recorded success. This article argues that the South African post-apartheid government was so overwhelmed by political victory in 1994 that they introduced ambitious land reform policies that were based on ideal thinking rather than on a pragmatic approach to the South African situation. We used qualitative research methods to argue that the engagement of farm beneficiaries in farm management and governance through communal property associations is failing dismally. We conclude that a revisit of the communal property associations model is required in order to strengthen the position of beneficiaries and promote access to land by African communities for future benefit.

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