Land Redistribution and its impact on Agri-BEE: A case study of Calcom PTY, Barberton, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Abstract
The principal aims of the study were to evaluate the objectives, achievements and limits of the South African land redistribution programme as from 1994-2005. This study placed particular emphasis on evaluating the period commencing in 1999 until 2005 since this period is credited for formally aligning Land redistribution with broader objectives of Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE). As a result of the aforementioned this study also aimed to evaluate the extent to which the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) reflects the broader objective, vision and aspirations of BBBEE and Agri-BEE. The latter analysis was based on an LRAD case study called Calcom PTY LTD in Barberton; Mpumalanga, South Africa. To extrapolate the data required for the attainment of the aims of the study, a qualitative research strategy which was based on a case study approach was utilised. This culminated in the choice of Calcom which is an LRAD project in order to further the analysis of the study. This enabled the study to develop a conceptual account of policy developments in the post-1999 period which saw BBBEE becoming a permanent feature of the South African land redistribution programme. Consequently a number of theories were used to account for changes that were made in the post-1999 period, namely the Neo-Classical, radical political economy, conceptual approaches to policy making and theories of development. This study argues that these changes are important for facilitating land redistribution to black people. However, without ensuring the availability of basic prerequisites for the emergence of black commercial farmers, such as skills developments, infrastructural support services, postsettlement support and access to finance and credit; the achievements and bias of LRAD towards black commercial farmers in theory will not have any impact on the broader vision of deracialising the Agri-economy in practice. Instead it will exclude the majority of poor black South Africans it ought to help, while empowering a few well resourced South Africans.
Description
Student Number : 0006374W - MA research report - School of Sociology - Faculty of Humanities
Keywords
land redistribution, black commercial farmers, Agri-BEE
Citation
Collections