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.

Thesis (MA (Political Science. International Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a comparative study of the politics of land reform in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Robert Cox’s critical theory is the theoretical framework used in carrying out the study. The particular focus of this thesis falls on the similarities and differences that exist in the two countries regarding the politics of land reform. Both countries share striking similarities, some of which include: In both countries, soon after the advent of democracy the majority of blacks lived in poor marginal areas where the land was/is less productive than the rich and fertile arable land owned by whites. In both countries, the minority whites are richer than the majority native black people; in both countries, land redistribution was a key national goal of the incoming governments immediately after independence; in both countries, land redress did not however happen as immediately as the incoming governments had promised. In Zimbabwe, the process only began some 20 years after independence while in South Africa, it is now 15years since 1994 when the ANC came into power and still, the racially skewed agricultural land ownership patterns are yet to be conclusively addressed. Some of the differences discussed in the study include; the types of governments in the two countries; land reform policies of the two countries; the type of societies as well as the relationship between Zimbabwe’s war veterans to the ZANU PF government. Steps are already underway to redress the distorted land ownership patterns in South Africa but is the process happening quick enough to prevent South Africa from facing the problems associated with inequitable land ownership patterns such as those that were faced by Zimbabwe? Where and how did Zimbabwe get her land redistribution process wrong? What lessons can South Africa learn from the case of Zimbabwe? Chapter two and three of the thesis will provide a general overview of the politics of land in the two countries, while chapter four will show the similarities and differences that exist. Chapter five will conclude by showing the lessons that South Africa can learn from Zimbabwe while also suggesting areas for further study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n vergelykende studie van die politiek van grondhervorming in Zimbabwe en Suid‐Afrika. Robert Cox se Kritiese Teorie is die teoretiese raamwerk wat gebruik word in die uitvoering van die studie. Die tesis fokus spesifiek op die ooreenkomste en verskille van hierdie twee lande wat betref die politiek van grondhervorming. Beide lande deel opvallende ooreenkomste, wat die volgende insluit: Kort na kolonisasie is die meerderheid swart mense in arm agtergeblewe gebiede geplaas, waar die land minder produktief is/was as die ryk en vrugbare akkerland in besit van blankes. In beide lande is die minderheid blankes ryker as die meerderheid inheemse swart mense. In albei lande is die herverdeling van grond 'n belangrike nasionale doelwit van die nuwe regerings onmiddellik na onafhanklikheid. In beide lande het die herverdeling van grond egter nie dadelik plaasgevind soos die nuwe regerings belowe het nie. In Zimbabwe het die proses eers 20 jaar na die land se onafhanklikheid begin. Dit is nou 15 jaar sedert 1994, vandat die ANC in Suid‐Afrika aan bewind gekom het, en nogsteeds is die ongelyke rasverdeelde grondeienaarskappatrone nie finaal aangespreek nie. Sommige van die verskille wat in die studie bespreek word sluit die volgende in: die tipes regeringstelsels wat die twee lande volg; grondhervormingsbeleid van die twee lande; die tipe samelewings, asook die verhouding tussen Zimbabwe se oorlogsveterane en die ZANU PF‐regering. Stappe is reeds geneem vir die regstelling van die ongelyke grondbesitpatrone in Suid‐ Afrika, maar is die proses besig om vinnig genoeg te gebeur om te verhoed dat Suid‐Afrika voor dieselfde uitdagings as Zimbabwe te staan kom? Waar en hoe het Zimbabwe se grondherverdelingproses verkeerd geloop? Watter lesse kan Suid‐Afrika leer uit die geval van Zimbabwe? Hoofstukke twee en drie van die tesis gee 'n algemene oorsig van die politiek van grond in die twee lande, terwyl hoofstuk vier ooreenkomste en verskille wat bestaan aantoon. Hoofstuk vyf sluit af deur aan te dui wat die lesse is wat Suid-afrika van Zimbabwe kan leer.

M.A. / This research project assesses the impact of South Africa's Land Reform Programme on the Land Redistribution Programme and thus, on the productivity and sustainability of farming operations in Limpopo Province. The impact of the Land Redistribution Programme was examined on five farms within four district municipalities in Limpopo Province, namely: Capricorn Municipality (Vaalkop 656LS), Vhembe Municipality (Spitzkop), Waterberg Municipality (Hartebeespoort 84 KR, Speculatie 139LQ and St Catherine 1257LQ). Landsat 5 remote-sensing images and quantitative and qualitative survey techniques were employed to source the information..

Thesis Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Geography and Environmental Studies University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies January 2017. / Political transformations in most developing nations have been accompanied by vast land claims by indigenous communities who were forcibly detached from their traditional land during colonisation and apartheid-like dispensations. In the context of sub-Saharan African countries (including South Africa), the need for land reform has been aggravated by the great scarcity of farmland. However, most of the reclaimed land is in areas pursuing conservation activities. Now, caught between owning the land and pursuing conservation as a land use option to improve livelihood; local communities have tended to form partnerships and collaborations with external stakeholders in managing communally owned natural resources. Collaborative management is perceived as a sustainable route in governing common pool natural resources in re-claimed areas. It is in this regard, that this research aims at establishing the role to which social capital can be instrumental in promoting sustainable governance in co-managed community game reserves in Kwa-Zulu Natal. This study follows a case study approach, with Zondi and Gumbi communities in Umvoti and uPhongolo Districts of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa respectively being used to obtain empirical evidence. Two basic criteria were taken into consideration in selecting appropriate case study areas to attain the aim of the study. Firstly, whether the area had successfully claimed the land and secondly, if there were collaborative efforts from different stakeholders in managing available common resources. To ensure equal representation, research participants were drawn from households, community leaders, conservation organisations and policy makers from the government. This study’s methodological positionality is interpretive in nature, and its operational framework base is qualitative research. It therefore uses a number of qualitative techniques in an attempt to establish the role of social capital in governing Somkhanda (in Gumbi) and Ngome (in Zondi) Community Game Reserves. For instance, systemic-resilience thinking and socio-ecological learning approaches were used to analyse the participatory relationship and effects in managing community natural resources in Gumbi and Zondi communities. It has been revealed in this study that the key to successful collaborative environmental management projects revolves around issues of participation, transparency, reciprocity and effective communication. These elements are important ingredients in building strong social capital. Community social cohesion builds trust between internal and external actors, especially in communities that were once subjected to various forms of segregation and corrupt systems of governance. The presence of trust in managing common pool resources ensures effective stakeholder participation as well as involvement in decision making processes. Furthermore, the evidence from this study suggests that the frequent exclusion of rural populations from participation in processes with a direct influence on their lives, undermines efforts to pursue Community-Based Ecotourism. More profoundly, the study found that, as an analytical tool, social capital seems to provide a dynamic and holistic explanatory approach to the pursuance of Community-Based Ecotourism in land-claimed communities, compared with the dominant evaluative techniques in the tourism field. Another important practical implication is that social capital can be used to promote the analysis of communities as heterogeneous and evolving, as opposed to the assumptions of their homogeneity and static state. There is a strong possibility that social capital can also address power-relations, social exclusion and inequality, through consideration of both structural and cognitive indicators. The findings from this study make several contributions to the body of knowledge. Firstly, they provide a better understanding of social capital variables influencing community participation in conservation activities. This is of use when designing or developing future Collaborative Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CCBNRM) projects. Secondly, from a broader perspective, the study advises policy makers not to ignore related community policies which might impact community participation in CCBNRMs. This is essential in considering the direction of future conservation and rural development policy. Thirdly, they provide a framework for empowering local people and their communities to enhance participation in CCBNRM. In view of this, a binding conclusion can be made that social capital can be a vehicle through which the accumulation of different forms of capital can be achieved and contribute towards sustainable environmental management. / MT2017

by Ma Kei. / Thesis submitted in: June 1998. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-189). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background and Objectives of Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Past Studies on the RRM and the LRM --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Rural Reconstruction Movements --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- CCP Land Reform Movements --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3 --- Peasant Studies and Peasant's View of Life --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4 --- Methodology --- p.24 / Chapter 1.5 --- Outline of Chapters --- p.25 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK --- p.27 / Chapter 2.1 --- Peasant Culture --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Dimension of Peasant Culture --- p.34 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Content of Peasant's View of Life --- p.38 / Chapter 2.4 --- Peasant's View of Life and Peasant's Action --- p.41 / Chapter 2.5 --- Peasants' View of Life and Peasant Collective Actions --- p.45 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- FROM MODERNIZATION TO MOBILIZATION --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1 --- Bankruptcy of the Peasant Society and the Corruption of the Great and Small Traditions --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2 --- Chinese Culture and Chinese Development --- p.63 / Chapter 3.3 --- The Village as a Starting Point --- p.70 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- HISTORICAL PROFILE OF RRM AND LRM --- p.80 / Chapter 4.1 --- Rural Reconstruction Movement --- p.80 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Shandong Rural Reconstruction Institute --- p.82 / Chapter 4.2 --- Chinese Communist Party Revolutionary Movement --- p.88 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Western Fujian Revolutionary Base --- p.92 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- CONTACT AND INTERACTION --- p.99 / Chapter 5.1 --- "Predominance of Peasants ""Image of Limited Good""" --- p.101 / Chapter 5.2 --- Breaking into the Village Community --- p.112 / Chapter 5.3 --- Utilizing Existing Peasant Community Networks --- p.113 / Chapter 5.4 --- Mobilization through the Establishment of New Forms of Peasant Organization --- p.123 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- INTERACTION AND TRANSFORMATION --- p.136 / Chapter 6.1 --- Induction by Material and Social Incentives --- p.138 / Chapter 6.2 --- Institutional Transformation of Peasant View of Life --- p.150 / Chapter 6.3 --- Ideological Confrontation --- p.164 / Chapter 6.4 --- Final Episode of the Transformation Process --- p.171 / Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- CONCLUSION --- p.176 / Chapter 7.1 --- Collective Action through Transformation: Change in the Peasant View --- p.176 / Chapter 7.2 --- Peasant View of Life Reconsidered --- p.180 / Chapter 7.3 --- "Rethinking ""Image of Limited Good""" --- p.181 / Chapter 7.4 --- Limitations of the Study and Directions of Future Research --- p.182 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.183

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2005 / Refer to the abstract

Drylands cover about 40% of the earth’s land surface and provide the basis for the livelihoods of 38% of the global human population. Worldwide, these ecosystems are prone to heavy degradation. Increasing levels of dryland degradation result a strong decline of ecosystem services. In addition, in highly variable semi-arid environments changing future environmental conditions will potentially have severe consequences for productivity and ecosystem dynamics. Hence, global efforts have to be made to understand the particular causes and consequences of dryland degradation and to promote sustainable management options for semi-arid and arid ecosystems in a changing world. Here I particularly address the problem of semi-arid savanna degradation, which mostly occurs in form of woody plant encroachment. At this, I aim at finding viable sustainable management strategies and improving the general understanding of semi-arid savanna vegetation dynamics under conditions of extensive livestock production. Moreover, the influence of external forces, i.e. environmental change and land reform, on the use of savanna vegetation and on the ecosystem response to this land use is assessed. Based on this I identify conditions and strategies that facilitate a sustainable use of semi-arid savanna rangelands in a changing world. I extended an eco-hydrological model to simulate rangeland vegetation dynamics for a typical semi-arid savanna in eastern Namibia. In particular, I identified the response of semi-arid savanna vegetation to different land use strategies (including fire management) also with regard to different predicted precipitation, temperature and CO2 regimes. Not only environmental but also economic and political constraints like e.g. land reform programmes are shaping rangeland management strategies. Hence, I aimed at understanding the effects of the ongoing process of land reform in southern Africa on land use and the semi-arid savanna vegetation. Therefore, I developed and implemented an agent-based ecological-economic modelling tool for interactive role plays with land users. This tool was applied in an interdisciplinary empirical study to identify general patterns of management decisions and the between-farm cooperation of land reform beneficiaries in eastern Namibia. The eco-hydrological simulations revealed that the future dynamics of semi-arid savanna vegetation strongly depend on the respective climate change scenario. In particular, I found that the capacity of the system to sustain domestic livestock production will strongly depend on changes in the amount and temporal distribution of precipitation. In addition, my simulations revealed that shrub encroachment will become less likely under future climatic conditions although positive effects of CO2 on woody plant growth and transpiration have been considered. While earlier studies predicted a further increase in shrub encroachment due to increased levels of atmospheric CO2, my contrary finding is based on the negative impacts of temperature increase on the drought sensitive seedling germination and establishment of woody plant species. Further simulation experiments revealed that prescribed fires are an efficient tool for semi-arid rangeland management, since they suppress woody plant seedling establishment. The strategies tested have increased the long term productivity of the savanna in terms of livestock production and decreased the risk for shrub encroachment (i.e. savanna degradation). This finding refutes the views promoted by existing studies, which state that fires are of minor importance for the vegetation dynamics of semi-arid and arid savannas. Again, the difference in predictions is related to the bottleneck at the seedling establishment stage of woody plants, which has not been sufficiently considered in earlier studies. The ecological-economic role plays with Namibian land reform beneficiaries showed that the farmers made their decisions with regard to herd size adjustments according to economic but not according to environmental variables. Hence, they do not manage opportunistically by tracking grass biomass availability but rather apply conservative management strategies with low stocking rates. This implies that under the given circumstances the management of these farmers will not per se cause (or further worsen) the problem of savanna degradation and shrub encroachment due to overgrazing. However, as my results indicate that this management strategy is rather based on high financial pressure, it is not an indicator for successful rangeland management. Rather, farmers struggle hard to make any positive revenue from their farming business and the success of the Namibian land reform is currently disputable. The role-plays also revealed that cooperation between farmers is difficult even though obligatory due to the often small farm sizes. I thus propose that cooperation needs to be facilitated to improve the success of land reform beneficiaries. / Semiaride (halbtrockene) Savannen bedecken große Teile der Erdoberfläche und sichern die Lebensgrundlage von vielen Millionen Menschen. Die häufigste Form der Landnutzung in diesen Trockengebieten ist die Produktion von Vieh in extensiver Weidelandbewirtschaftung. In Folge klimatischer Veränderungen und als Konsequenz aus der teils intensiven Beweidung dieser Trockengebiete kommt es häufig zur Degradierung derselben in Form einer Zunahme von ‚unerwünschter‘ holziger Vegetation auf Kosten von futterverwertbaren Gräsern. Dieser als Verbuschung bezeichnete Prozess hat schwere negative Auswirkungen auf die betroffenen Ökosysteme und ist die Ursache für einen zunehmenden Rückgang der ökonomischen Leistungsfähigkeit der betroffenen Betriebe. In meiner Dissertation befasse ich mich mit den Auswirkungen von Klimawandel und politischen Veränderungen auf die Savannenvegetation im südlichen Afrika und auf die Möglichkeiten für die Nutzung dieser Ökosysteme in Form von Viehwirtschaft. Hierbei möchte ich sowohl das allgemeine Verständnis der ökologischen Zusammenhänge verbessern, als auch Strategien für die nachhaltige Nutzung der Savannen identifizieren und bewerten. Da nicht nur ökologische, sondern auch ökonomische und politische Einflussfaktoren, wie zum Beispiel die umfangreichen Landumverteilungen im Rahmen der Bodenreform im südlichen Afrika auf die tatsächliche Landnutzung wirken, habe ich im Rahmen der Dissertation zudem untersucht, nach welchen Umwelt und Kapitalvariablen sich die Farmer, welche Ihr Land im Rahmen der Bodenreform zugeteilt bekommen haben, bei Ihren Entscheidungen richten. Methodisch verwende ich verschiedene Simulationsmodelle, welche zur Untersuchung der langfristigen Veränderungen von verschiedensten Szenarien (Klimawandel, Landnutzung) geeignet sind. Hierbei habe ich teilweise bestehende Modelle angepasst, aber auch ein neues Modell, welches zur Befragung von Farmern in Namibia verwendet wurde, entwickelt. Meine Dissertation führt im Wesentlichen zu vier Erkenntnissen: Erstens, zeigen meine Ergebnisse, welche große Bedeutung die spezifischen ökologischen Eigenschaften der Bäume und Sträucher in semiariden Savannen für die Vorhersage der Entwicklung dieser Systeme unter Klimawandel hat. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass insbesondere die Sensitivität der Keimlinge gegenüber Trockenheit und Feuer eine entscheidende Rolle spielt. Daraus folgt die zweite wesentliche Erkenntnis: Feuer eignet sich in herausragender Weise, um halbtrockene Savannen vor der Verbuschung zu bewahren. Drittens haben die Rollenspiele mit Farmern in Namibia gezeigt, dass deren Entscheidungen im Wesentlichen von finanziellen Schwierigkeiten und nicht von Umwelteinflüssen getrieben werden. Dennoch zeigten meine Ergebnisse, dass diese Farmer mit Ihrem derzeitigen Verhalten wahrscheinlich nicht zur weiteren Degradierung der Savannenvegetation beitragen. Die vierte, und mit am bedeutendste Erkenntnis aus meiner Arbeit ist, dass konservative Beweidungsstrategien mit geringen und konstanten Viehdichten notwendig sind um semiaride Savannen dauerhaft in ökologisch und ökonomisch nachhaltiger Weise zu Nutzen.

The objectives of this thesis were firstly, to review existing literature in order to identify broadly accepted and measurable indicators of the possible causes of poverty and the resulting symptoms. Secondly, to gather baseline information from a group of land reform beneficiaries in order to identify the different dimensions of poverty affecting the current and future well-being of these households. Thirdly, to undertake empirical analysis to assign these households to a small number of groups exhibiting different symptoms of poverty and then explain these differences in terms of their possible causes. A census survey of 38 land reform beneficiary households - members of a Communal Property Association (CPA) established to purchase Clipstone, a 630 hectare subdivision of the farm Sherwood in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal - was conducted in May 2002 to gather data on poverty indicators. Principal Component Analysis was used to construct an index of the standard of housing, which was then combined with variables measuring other symptoms of poverty (income, wealth and health) in a Cluster Analysis of the households. This revealed five clusters representing four distinct groups of poverty; households relatively income and asset rich, income rich but asset poor, asset rich but income poor and households with the lowest incomes and assets. Linear Discriminant Analysis was then used to distinguish the households that were relatively income and asset "rich" from those that were relatively income and asset poor, and those that were relatively income poor but "asset rich" from those relatively asset poor but "income rich". The main distinguishing indicators were found to be gender of the household head, family size, dependency ratio, education and access to markets. These findings show that there is a need to increase child welfare grants as pension earnings become less effective (due to decreasing life expectancy and high levels of dependence on pensions as a source of income) in the short run. In the long run, there is a need for increased education and vocational training - especially for women along with better access to transport, jobs and banking facilities (to mobilise savings). / Thesis (M.Agric.Mgt.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Political Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 374-397). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR39058

The introduction of the first democratic Constitution and the land reform programme in South ' Africa provided the impetus for the development of a new perception of property. In terms of the traditional private law perception property rights are reduced to abstract, scientific concepts which form part of a hierarchical system of rationally and logically related concepts and definitions, the relationships between which remain largely unaffected by social and political realities. In this view the constitutional property clause is interpreted as a guarantee of existing individual property rights against unwarranted state interference. Proponents of the traditional private law view argue that this perception of property need not be replaced by a new constitutional perception of property, because the traditional private law perception is legitimated by the fact that it developed in an uninterrupted, linear line from Roman law. It is regarded as flexible enough to adapt to new and different social and political circumstances. However, the truth is that the development of property rights was disrupted by a number of discontinuities or fundamental breaks in different periods of its development. It is argued in this thesis that the introduction of the new constitutional order in South Africa can be regarded as another of these discontinuities, and that the strict adherence to the private law perception of property may be abandoned in favour of a new debate on property where the social and political function of property is emphasised more strongly. Land reform promotes the public interest in that it ensures the equitable use, distribution and exploitation of property. In most cases the implementation of land reform necessitates the limitation of property rights. A conservative judiciary's adherence to the traditional private law perception of property may lead to a constitutional conflict between the judiciary (that aims to afford existing property rights strong constitutional protection) and the legislature (that aims to promote the public interest by implementing land reform). Such a constitutional conflict can be avoided if the South African courts adopt an approach in terms of which the social and political role and function of property in society is recognised. / Private Law / LL.D.