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A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia

Thesis (MPhil (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.

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Main Author: Vermeulen, Sanet Elenor
Other Authors: Breytenbach, W. J.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2010
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access_status_str Open Access
author Vermeulen, Sanet Elenor
author2 Breytenbach, W. J.
author_browse Breytenbach, W. J.
Vermeulen, Sanet Elenor
author_facet Breytenbach, W. J.
Vermeulen, Sanet Elenor
author_sort Vermeulen, Sanet Elenor
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (MPhil (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2159
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:40:55.520Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2010
publishDateRange 2010
publishDateSort 2010
publisher Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
publisherStr Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2159 A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia Vermeulen, Sanet Elenor Breytenbach, W. J. University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. Theses -- Political science Dissertations -- Political science Land reform -- South Africa -- Evaluation -- Case studies Land reform -- Namibia -- Evaluation -- Case studies Political Science Thesis (MPhil (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. This study first discusses, and ultimately compares, the land reform policies of both South Africa and Namibia, with special reference to the respective histories of land ownership. An overview of the two countries’ histories of colonial and segregationist policies are presented to provide the reader with insight into the racially unequal social, economic and political relations within the case studies concerned. The particular focus of this study falls on the legal frameworks and the policy developments of land restitution and the land redistribution policy programmes from the time of the transition to democracy. South Africa’s and Namibia’s policies are compared, highlighting the similarities and differences between the two. South Africa developed a wider land reform policy, which stands on three legs: land restitution, land redistribution and land tenure reform. The first, land restitution, has been prioritised by government and has thus far contributed the most to the progress of land reform. It may also be seen as the beginning of redistribution. Land tenure does not receive much attention in this study, but the land redistribution programme does. Progress to date has overall been slower than expected and other stumbling blocks such as ineffective extension services, bureaucratic ineptitude and ensuring the productive use of land are not focused on. Government recently indicated that it intends, and has also taken some steps, to speed up the lagging process of land reform through an increased use of expropriation. Great criticism against this was voiced by the commercial sector. South Africa is a constitutional democracy and attempts to redress the injustices of the past within a legal framework. Namibia seems to be progressing faster than South Africa in terms of its redistribution policy. One reason for this could be that the targets are more realistically set. It was decided that the restitution of ancestral land will not be followed (therefore, redistribution was not claims-based), but that all previously disadvantaged people will benefit from land redistribution. A land conference was held immediately after independence in 1991. Lately, however, momentum on the pursuit of its land reform policy seems to have subsided. The conclusion of this study indicates that although there are differences in the respective countries’ land reform policies, there are significant similarities. The debate between ‘equity’ and ‘production’ becomes even more important in the midst of world food price increases, a global financial crisis and the ever growing gap between the poor and the rich. More than a decade after the transition to democracy (amidst the chaotic land reform process in Zimbabwe), land and ownership remain a contentious issue in both countries. Masters 2010-06-01T08:41:49Z 2009-02-10T09:44:14Z 2010-06-01T08:41:49Z 2009-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2159 en University of Stellenbosch application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
spellingShingle Theses -- Political science
Dissertations -- Political science
Land reform -- South Africa -- Evaluation -- Case studies
Land reform -- Namibia -- Evaluation -- Case studies
Political Science
Vermeulen, Sanet Elenor
A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia
title A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia
title_full A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia
title_fullStr A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia
title_full_unstemmed A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia
title_short A Comparative Assessment of the Land Reform Programme in South Africa and Namibia
title_sort comparative assessment of the land reform programme in south africa and namibia
topic Theses -- Political science
Dissertations -- Political science
Land reform -- South Africa -- Evaluation -- Case studies
Land reform -- Namibia -- Evaluation -- Case studies
Political Science
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2159
work_keys_str_mv AT vermeulensanetelenor acomparativeassessmentofthelandreformprogrammeinsouthafricaandnamibia
AT vermeulensanetelenor comparativeassessmentofthelandreformprogrammeinsouthafricaandnamibia