Browsing by Author "Nieuwoudt, Deborah"
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- Item'n Ondersoek na die potensiële impak van die herverdeling van grond op die sosio-ekonomiese toestande in die Somerset-Oos en Cradock distrikte van die Oos-Kaap(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004-03) Nieuwoudt, Deborah; Claassen, P. E.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Land is a precious resource that forms the basis of our security, pride and history. The ownership and use of land have always played an important role in the shaping of all political, economic and social processes in South Africa. Therefore it is a very sensitive issue for all South Africans. Colonialism and the Apartheid policy deprived the majority of South Africans of the right to own land or took away their land, and this contributed to the large degree of prevailing poverty, especially of the rural black population. One of the primary purposes of the first democratic government, elected in 1994, was to introduce land reform that would return 30% of all agricultural land to the previously deprived population. The purpose of this study is to research the government policy, and prevailing theories, on land reform, and the impact of this policy on the socio-economic development of the Cradock and Somerset East districts of the Eastern Cape. The current power behind the new land policy is the land reform programme, which consists of redistribution, security of tenure and land restitution. Land reform means, among other things, the redistribution of land with the main objectives of achieving socio-economic development and reducing poverty. From the research it transpired that land reform is a complex issue with widely divergent opinions. The Government itself changed its policy since 1994, and the World Bank has also change its policy. Of the burning issues are: must land reform mainly deal with land restitution, or rather with socio-economic development; is commercial farming on large farms better for land restitution, or small scale farming on small farms; is the capitalistic viewpoint driven by the market mechanism the best, or a more socialistic approach; is communal ownership of land better than individual ownership; should only applicants with farming experience be considered or also people with no experience? All these issues have proponents, mostly it seams as if compromises between these viewpoints would yield the best results. From the case studies, as well as the literature and interviews, it transpired that support services for emerging farmers are of prime importance. Mentors that assist emerging farmers could make a positive contribution. Existing commercial farmers should also be involved as advisers. It also seemed as if it was very difficult for large groups of unrelated beneficiaries to successfully work on one farm. The success of the policy does not only depend on the mere access to land, as the quality of life and potential job opportunities can only be increased by the provision of support services, infrastructure and other development programmes, which result from land reform. This requires a cooperative partnership between national, provincial and local governments. The socio-economic analysis revealed that there are large scale poverty and unemployment in the districts of Cradock and Somerset East. Although the rural population is on the decline, there still are large rural black and coloured populations that may benefit from land restitution. However, because of the dry climate and poor soil quality, it is unlikely that many of these households could be helped by means of land restitution to escape from poverty. Opinions of experts on the degree to which land reform contributed towards socio-economic development, are divided. It seems that projects where upcoming farmers are assisted by a mentor, or where a small number of beneficiaries, related to each other, are farming together, have a greater chance of succeeding. However, for the land reform programme to meet its objectives, it is important to formulate an adequate land policy to ensure peace, reconciliation and national stability. Without these aspects, economic growth and secure livelihoods cannot be ensured. Effective land programmes can contribute directly to increased production and the reduction of poverty, but only if implemented correctly. Land forms the corner stone of development, but cannot be used or maintained as the only way to decrease or eliminate poverty.