3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/45
Browse
6 results
Search Results
Item Hope in despair: expropriated for political expediency my family’s fading cries for ancestral land(2021) Seale, LebogangThe signing into law of the South African constitution in 1996 was widely expected to provide redress for communities that suffered land dispossession during white colonial rule, among other imperatives. The Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994, and especially Section 25 of the constitution, specifically affirmed an individual’s right to land restitution. As such, there were great expectations that the Natives Land Act of 1913 and other subsequent legislations on land dispossession would be reversed. As is well documented, land reform in South Africa has been painfully slow and complex. A distinguishing feature of this longform narrative article is that it is told through the voices of a family and community members who share their darkest moments of living and working on white people’s farms and their struggle to reclaim their land. The research established that not only is the ideal of land reform in South Africa a monumental failure and disappointment, but that it is a veritable betrayal that can be damaging on affected people whose quest for restorative justice remains elusive. It shows our community’s struggle in reclaiming their ancestral land. After almost a quarter of a century since we lodged our land claim, we have nothing to show for it. This is also a family story about the travails of lifting ourselves out of the morass of poverty and deprivation, wrought by land dispossession and forced removals. Interviews with white farmers whose properties are under the land claims show that land reform can be a polarising issue that threatens national unity, if not dealt with prudently, expeditiously and judiciously. This research project consists of two parts, a longform narrative and a scholarly piece that underpins it.Item Hope in despair: expropriated for political expediency - my family’s fading cries for ancestral land(2021) Seale, LebohangThe signing into law of the South African constitution in 1996 was widely expected to provide redress for communities that suffered land dispossession during white colonial rule, among other imperatives. The Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994, and especially Section 25 of the constitution, specifically affirmed an individual’s right to land restitution. As such, there were great expectations that the Natives Land Act of 1913 and other subsequent legislations on land dispossession would be reversed. As is well documented, land reform in South Africa has been painfully slow and complex. A distinguishing feature of this longform narrative article is that it is told through the voices of a family and community members who share their darkest moments of living and working on white people’s farms and their struggle to reclaim their land. The research established that not only is the ideal of land reform in South Africa a monumental failure and disappointment, but that it is a veritable betrayal that can be damaging on affected people whose quest for restorative justice remains elusive. It shows our community’s struggle in reclaiming their ancestral land. After almost a quarter of a century since we lodged our land claim, we have nothing to show for it. This is also a family story about the travails of lifting ourselves out of the morass of poverty and deprivation, wrought by land dispossession and forced removals. Interviews with white farmers whose properties are under the land claims show that land reform can be a polarising issue that threatens national unity, if not dealt with prudently, expeditiously and judiciously. This research project consists of two parts, a longform narrative and a scholarly piece that underpins it.Item Contestations surrounding the upgrading of informal settlements in East London in South Africa(2020) Tindleni, Nomampondo Thembekile MarthaThe demand for adequate and affordable housing continues to grow unabated globally and South Africa is no exception. Currently, the global housing backlog is estimated to be at about 330 million households. The figure is forecasted to increase by more than 30% by 2025. This means than about 440 million households, or 1.6 billion people won’t have access to decent housing. In South Africa, the mushrooming of informal settlements reflects on the inability of the state to respond to the complex issues surrounding access to housing. While the government has attempted to address this situation through policies, it was only until recent that it took a positive approach to dealing with informal settlements. Through the comprehensive plan on human settlements, attention is paid on improving the lives of informal settlement dwellers with an emphasis on in situ upgrading process. Ironically, despite the allocation of a grant to upgrade informal settlements in Duncan Village under the Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG) for bulk services to the metropolitan municipality and Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) for top structures and social amenities, no remarkable improvements have been witnessed in this respect. The grant has since been returned to the Treasury while conditions on the ground do not reflect any positive change towards upgrading of informal settlements. This study therefore draws from these developments and investigated the underlying contestations surrounding the failure to upgrade informal settlements in Duncan Village. Information for this study was gathered through qualitative research methodology where both primary and secondary sources of data were employed. Unstructured face to face interviews shall were conducted with key informants (those with relevant information on the subject under study). Complementary information was gathered through observations and document analysis where documents such as housing policies and relevant literature were reviewed. The research unravelled that while the South African government seek to upgrade informal settlements through policies such as the ISUP, there is a mismatch between policy intentions and what transpires on the ground. One of the major themes coming out from this study is that officials who are tasked with foreseeing the upgrading of informal settlements are incompetent. The study further observed that failure to upgrade informal settlements in East London Duncan Village can mainly be attributed to power struggles that exist between the national and local governance. It is within these power dynamics that there is not enough engagement with local people when it comes to developing and implementing policies such as the ones on informal settlement upgrading. The study therefore recommends the need to align different government departments in order to tap in skills and expertise from relevant officials. There is also need to draw lessons from countries that successfully implemented projects on upgrading of informal settlements.Item Working and living condition in contemporary South African farmlands: exploring the impacts of tenure reforms on farm workers and labour tenants, a study of Bethal district(2016-01-28) Okpa, Michael EvalsamThe relationship between farmers and farm workers in South Africa in one steeped in controversy, yet this area of study has received little attention. Agrarian history in South Africa is topical especially when considering the interaction between farmers (predominantly white) and farm workers (almost entirely black) in a capitalist economy. Farm workers current social and economic situation is a product of colonialism, segregationist and apartheid policies, as well as capitalist development and post-apartheid development strategy. This study hence analyses the social cohesion within the commercial farming community, placed against the backdrop of the Land Reform Programme – tenure reform. The social relations and labour are highly shaped by the capitalist mode of production and through the control of capital. Total institutions, domestic governance, and paternalism, impedes successful tenure reform. The study reveals a mutual cohesion between farmer and their employees based on a variety of reasons ranging from mutual understanding, good communication, good working relationship, and treating such other fairly. Nonetheless, this does not mean that farm workers are not being maltreated as other studies on farm relations have shown. Without a doubt, land reform particularly tenure reform has clearly tested the patience of farmers. The study further acknowledges that the current land reform programme (especially tenure reform) is deficient, and has not benefited those for whom it was intended. Despite the legislation that have been passed in order to protect the rights of those living on farms, and to secure the labour right of those who work on them, there has been little improvement in securing tenure rights as well as the poverty level of many farm dwellers. Successful implementations of recent interventions to tenure security are the preconditions necessary for the broader land reform programme to reduce poverty levels among farm workers. Hence, securing tenure rights for farm workers must therefore be tired to programmes which aim to reduce poverty level among farm dwellers in general. Tenure reform by itself cannot alleviate rural poverty unless the government take a decisive action to stimulate the rural economy. Equally, farm dwellers (including farm workers and labour tenants) have felt the harshest consequence of the crises facing post-apartheid South Africa’s agriculture sector. This historical process has left its legacy in post-apartheid South Africa, characterised not only by a bimodal agricultural system but also by an unequal relation within (white) commercial farms where farm workers and labour tenants are faced with the harshest reality of poverty in the mist of agrarian wealth. This study therefore explores the disputed labour regime in the farming sector – the mechanisation and casualization of farm labour, as well as farm consolidation, both leading to a drop in rural/farm employment as an immediate consequence; and low unionisation of farm workers.Item A gender analysis of the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) Programme : a case study in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.(2009-09-02T09:04:23Z) Songelwa, Nomvuselelo CynthiaAfter 1994, the South African government prioritized land reform as a strategy for development in order to redress the legacy of apartheid, while contributing to national reconciliation, growth and development. The government with endless persuasion from gender activists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and interested individuals acknowledged the crucial role that women could play in transforming its society. As a commitment to gender equity, it ratified various international conventions and national declarations, including in 1995, the United Nations on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Subsequently, a variety of institutions and gender divisions (units) in the country were established to advise, monitor and implement gender mainstreaming programs within government departments, NGOs and parliamentary structures. These include amongst othersthe Office of the Status on Women (OSW), The Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) and gender focal points. In 1995, a delegation of South African women led by politicians participated in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. In response to this report, the Department of Land Affairs (DLA), together with other government departments, committed itself “to take legislative and administrative measures to give men and women equal rights to economic resources, including access to ownership and control over land and other properties, credit facilities, natural resources and appropriate supporting technology” (DLA, 1997:18). Despite these commitments, the South African government in general and the land sector in particular was criticised for contradicting its intentions. These were evident in policy development processes. An example widely documented was the controversies and compromises which were made by the ANC led government during the development of the Communal Land Rights Act of 2004 (Walker, 2005; Hassim, 2005; Claassens 2003). In addition, the land policies, including the DLA Gender Policy, have been widely criticised by several researchers (Hall, 1996; Mann, 1999; Walker, 2002; Claassens, 2005). The common trend was the scepticism of whether these policies would achieve their intended gender equity goals. Amongst others, weaknesses of these polices were the poor conceptualisation of gender and the lack of clarity on the government’s 2 gender equity intentions and outcomes. These would make it difficult to translate policies into practice. This study investigates whether these assertions are valid. The focus of the research is the analysis of the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) Programme which was established in 2001. Using a project located in Mpumalanga Province, called the Mathebula Communal Property Association, the study evaluates the implementation of this programme. The project is located near Rock’s Drift in the Mbombela Municipality about 6 kilometers from White River on the White River- Nelspruit road (R40). It is amongst the first projects to be administered by the provincial DLA, under the new LRAD programme. This property was used for chicken and smallscale pig farming. The location of the project is of significance because the Mpumalanga province is amongst the most rural poverty stricken provinces in South Africa with a population of approximately 3 million. According to May (2000: 22), about 45% of the individuals in this province are living in poverty. The study was undertaken during the presettlement stages. The main goal was to investigate the DLA commitment to its gender policy through a case study. In addition, it explores the relationship between the primary beneficiary, a rural woman named Aida and the DLA officials during the research period. This is a means to assess whether Aida was empowered through these processes, as per the LRAD policy statements. The study draws its theoretical basis from a Gender Analysis Approach. This analysis recognises in every context that it is relevant to determine the gender-based division of labour and to understand the forces that constrain this division or act to change it. This framework was useful in collecting data tool for this study. The study uses a case study methodology. This research strategy has been chosen because of its ability to offer an “in-depth analysis of a case so as to interpret its unique features and to solicit an understanding of the social arrangements and their existence” (Ragin, 2000:24). The case study approach has shown that without investigating the processes which occur within these projects, the real impact of land reform on the beneficiaries’ lives is far from being realised. The major findings of this research revealed that whilst South Africa has put in place several national legislative frameworks to address gender equity in general, women still struggle to access resources through government systems. Aida, the main driver of this 3 project, experienced 4 years of insurmountable problems whilst trying to acquire a farm she had identified from a willing seller. The research revealed that Aida’s determination to acquire the farm is attributable to her intellectual capabilities, negotiation skills and manipulative tactics, which is contrary to the dominant argument that factors affecting rural women's access to land are dependent on “educational level, age, social status of the family and marital status” (Moser, 1993; Bob, 1994)). In addition, the dynamics within projects often not reflected in policies are very crucial in successful implementation of projects. For instance, in this project, the ‘inactive’ strategy of registered members reduced conflict within the project such that Aida became the sole owner of the project and was able to successfully acquire the farm without any interference from the other members. Overall, a significant contribution of this case study to the SA women’s empowerment theoretical framework is the identification of the external and internal factors, some of which were specific to gender empowerment failures. These include the challenges of targeting women, access to information, lack of accountability on gender as well as the absence of strong social movements. Lastly, the study also revealed unintended outcomes as a result of the lengthy period of the pre-land transfer stage, issues which are normally ignored and undocumented. Studies of land reform (and development) projects in Mpumalanga province and throughout SA have revealed similar findings as outlined through this document. These findings raise key questions that have broader implications for LRAD, and land reform program in general. The study acknowledges that there are examples of women in Mpumalanga province and maybe in other parts of the country who may have had positive experiences through the same program. However, it also confirms findings by earlier studies done by different researchers and thus raises critical questions with regards to the implementation and sustainability of the LRAD projects in South Africa, specifically in the Mpumalanga Province.Item Land reform, equity and growth in South Africa: A comparative analysis(2006-03-23) Weideman, MarindaIn this thesis, the following methods were used to assess the South African Land Reform Programme; historically important documents, policy papers, library research, qualitative interviews and a comparative analysis, which included a wide range of African, Asian and Latin American countries. The aim of the thesis was twofold. First, to assess whether an essentially market-based land reform programme might bring about equity and growth. Second, to draw lessons and make recommendations based on an analysis of land reform programmes in other countries, as well as on South African case studies. Emerging issues related to farm size, food security, poverty alleviation, appropriate credit policies, the limitations of market-based reform, the problems relating to bureaucratic reform programmes, the importance of beneficiary participation, the necessity to develop a gender sensitive programme and, finally, the undeniable relationship between violence and land reform. This thesis highlights the link between the omission of gender in policy development and subsequent policy failures. It highlights the relationship between land reform and violence and, it points to the varied nature of rural livelihoods. There is also a focus on how South African land reform policies developed and an analysis of the influence that the various actors, who participated in this process, had on subsequent