This study is an exploration of the discourses which ha emerged in the KwaZulu Natal Land Reform Pilot Programme. It aims to identify the implications of these discourses for addressing poverty and inequality and for constructing the relationship between the state and society. It is hypothesized that there are some discourses that are privileged at the expense of others with major social consequences. This hypothesis has been tested through a discourse analysis of the proceedings of the KwaZulu Natal Land Reform Pilot Programme Steering Committee for the period March 1995 to August 1996. This study uncovers three dominant discourses in the KZN LRPP. Firstly, discourses of historical, racial injustice which draw on notions of tradition. Secondly, discourses of 'economic development' which highlight the need for productive, agricultural use of land. Lastly, discourses of participation are used to construct and contest the role and authority of the state as well as that of 'community' spokespersons. I argue that these discourses might have constrained the capacity of the KwaZulu Natal Land Reform Pilot Programme to address poverty and inequality, and that these discourses have constructed relationships between the state and society which privilege elite sectors of rural society at the expense of others. An unintended outcome of this study is that it has allowed me to explore the limits and possibilities of discourse analysis as a research method. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sci.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, 1999.

This study seeks to examine the contribution of land reform programmes to beneficiaries and focuses on post settlement development for beneficiaries once they have resettled on the farm. The contribution of land reform programmes is examined in this study through the investigation of the Rocky Drift Farm, a rural area in Muden, KwaZulu-Natal Province, This case study has been chosen because it became one of the first Land Reform Pilot Projects transferred in 1997 to a Trust, representing a large number of owners (232 in total), under the government assisted land redistribution programme. It is now 12 years since the residents have returned to Rocky Drift Farm and this period is regarded as sufficiently long enough to enable the critical examination of development progress relating to land reform since 1997. This research has hypothesized that "whilst the Land Reform Programme does generate some benefits for beneficiaries, it has proved to be an inadequate mechanism for improving the quality of life for beneficiaries, and thus needs to be supplemented by a number of other key support programmes in order to fully contribute to the lives of the poor". While this investigation has proven beyond reasonable doubt that the lives of of the beneficiaries have not fully improved as a result of Land Reform Programmes at Rocky Drift, improvement in infrastructure and service provision such as upgrading of 3 roads. construction and upgrading of 5 schools, building of 1 creche and the supply of portable water, has been noticed. Furthermore, benefits such as a sense of belonging, identity, trust, hope and reconciliation, resulting from the implementation of the Rocky Drift Project have also not gone unnoticed. However, despite the benefits mentioned above, it is strongly argued by this dissertation that these benefits are inadequate to boldly conclude that land reform programmes have improved the standard of life for Rock Drift residents after 12 years of resettlement. Therefore, this study recommends, inter-alia, the following supplementary measures as boost for land reform programmes to enable the beneficiaries to fully benefit from these programmes, during post settlement; • improving communication, co-operation and co-ordination among the government departments, • maintaining the continuity of the key stakeholders, • establishment of agri-villages; • link land reform projects with lDPs: • re-establishing the Rocky Drift community structures and the • letting of unused portions of Rocky Drift Farm, to mention a few. Lastly, since the Rocky Drift Project piloted other farms, this study also recommends that a further investigation needs to be conducted. This will draw a comparative analysis and critically examine whether or not the lessons from this project were used to improve other similar projects. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.

This research focuses on KwaZulu-Natal case studies of land reform projects that serve as contributors to local economic development (LED). Key stakeholders and role players on LED matters within the KwaZulu-Natal province serve as respondents. The study seeks to answer critical questions regarding the success and viability of land reform projects. “Rural development is one of the the signature projects that swept the African National Congress (ANC) to power. It is supposed to distinguish the new administration from all that has gone before by having a dedicated ministry specifically to look after the forgotten countryside”, (Mabanga 2010, p. 36). For communities operating registered companies, some of the major challenges, amongst others, include a lack of farm management skills, business skills, financial skills and governance skills (including corporate governance). Leadership challenges are experienced between community members that ultimately may lead to the collapse of projects. There are also concerns regarding state support for post settlement. This affects the operation and capitalization of the projects and is required to kick-start projects after land transfers. Other challenges include skills shortage amongst managers and post settlement support for specific industries to ease transfer of skills to beneficiaries. The majority of the post-settlement support from the National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has no, or limited, skills in specific industries like forestry, sugarcane, crop farming and animal farming. Consequently there is a shortage of proper advice to the community managers from inception and the incumbent official then still has to learn the industry operating systems. Ultimately all the parties rely heavily on consultants to provide assistance to newly emerging farmers or business entrepreneurs within the communities. The transfer of developmental grants is a major headache currently facing the majority of land beneficiaries. The department of rural development still owes communities post-settlement grants or development grants back-dated to the 2008/09 financial period. The objective of this study was to arrive at some guidelines and recommendations that will contribute to the success of land reform projects and thereby contribute to LED within KwaZulu-Natal province. / Thesis (M.Com)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

This study aims at exploring the policy advocacy role of civil society organizations in land reforms policy using the Association for Rural Advancement in KwaZulu-Natal as a case study, and focusing specifically on the aspect of land redistribution programme. The specific objectives of the study are to identify the advocacy strategies used, to assess their strengths and weaknesses, to examine the extent to which land redistribution programme is being influenced by the advocacy action of AFRA, to identify the limitations in policy advocacy for land redistribution, and to assess the effectiveness of AFRA‘s policy advocacy work in the lens of the factors for effective policy advocacy delineated by Bratton (1994: 48-55). Thus, this study provides an understanding of the magnitude and challenges of policy advocacy functions of CSOs in such a sensitive issue as the land ownership in South Africa. This study has been informed by qualitative research methodology in both data gathering and analysis. Data were collected using a triangulation of data collection techniques, and analyzed using thematic analysis, which is a method for identifying, analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within data. It has emerged from this study that civil society organisations provide avenues for voices and issues that may not have been prioritised by policy makers to be placed on the public agenda. A wide range of strategies to engage with the state are employed by civil society organisations, and those strategies are strategically employed in a complementary manner so that they could be more effective depending on the issue at hand and the context within which advocacy is being made. Furthermore, it comes out the study that there are many challenges faced by the CSOs involved in land issues, among others are the antagonistic climate portraying the relationships with the state, the issue of funding, the low literacy level of rural landless people, etc. For more impact to be perceived in policy influence, the study suggests that CSOs in the land sector and AFRA in particular should establish an effective networking framework in order to pool resources, and share expertise and experience; they should increase their clients‘ involvement in policy process by making opening their membership to rural people living in the communities they work with; examine the possibility to gain domestic financial base. For government agencies, more particularly the Department of Land Affairs, it is suggested to reassess their relationships with the civil society so that the two sectors work collaboratively for the best of the poor people they all have to serve. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

The primary aim of this research was to examine the processes involved in the implementation of land reform policies in South Africa with specific reference to the Nkaseni Land Restitution Claim in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. The objective was to conduct an in-depth diagnostic study with a view to understanding the nature of the challenges, and to propose interventions that could improve land reform processes and the functioning of communal projects in the country. The hypothesis of this research was that the South African government's attempts at land reform have thus far failed to live up to expectations. Part of this research aimed to investigate this hypothesis using the Nkaseni Communal Project as a case study. A number of issues were identified as findings in this research and this report aims to present these issues. Through this study, the pillars of the land reform programme in South Africa were discussed as tenure reform, restitution and redistribution. While mention of the other land reform programmes was made, emphasis was placed mainly on the restitution policy which is the focus of this research. In this research, the experience of land reform in Less-Developed Countries such as Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania and China, has been reviewed. A lesson learnt from developing countries is that tensions and potential conflicts can hinder the process of land reform. It was also established that land reform is time-consuming, expensive and difficult. Some of the issues identified fall outside the mandate of the Department of Land Affairs, which recommends a clear framework for effective role-player participation with other government departments and other relevant stakeholders. A clear policy is needed on post-transfer support for land reform communal projects. This includes clarifying the specific roles, functions and powers of the different stakeholders. This study was also able to provide some evidence that there are numerous challenges that are being experienced by communal-managed projects that have been set up within the KZN Province. A number of the challenges emanate from poorly-drafted Constitutions of the Communal Property Institution as well as poor implementation of projects. The study was able to illustrate that land title can be transferred to the Communal Property Institutions, but that does not translate into the realization of secure individual rights of members of the institution. It was also noted that failure to address issues relating to individual rights allocation can be one of the major sources of conflict within Communal Projects. The research findings revealed that there was very little focus on empowering beneficiaries of communal projects to manage their newlyacquired resources once transfer of land had taken place. Also noted is that there was a lack of understanding of the Trust (as an institution) by some of the Trust members. Lack of co-operative governance was raised as a key issue hindering support from other stakeholders. The study revealed that there was a lack of systems or processes of dealing with multiple interests of Trust members. There was poor representation of women within decision-making structures. Lack of skills transfer to land reform beneficiaries is another contributing factor to the many challenges that are faced by the Communal Property Institutions. Beneficiary training and capacity building are key recommendations in the findings. From the start of the land reform programme, it was recognized that, given South Africa’s Agricultural history, transferring skills to beneficiaries was to be one of the key challenges and determinants of the land reform programme’s success. In the light of this study, a more integrated method of skills transfer at the community level would have many advantages, as it would help alleviate a number of the challenges currently experienced by the land reform projects. Lastly, the study also indicated that land reform beneficiaries were rarely experienced in making independent decisions. It is clear from this research that there is no blueprint approach to land reform, as each project should be designed for the particular conditions to be effective. The important aspects of both individual and communal tenure should be properly understood when reform initiative attempts to change social relations in rural areas are undertaken. There must be flexibility in policies regarding farm size, while support must also be given to proper training and extension aimed at increasing the individual farmer's managerial ability. / Thesis (MPA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

Adoption of Integrated Development Approach in Land Reform projects could ensure the co-ordinated and equitable allocation of resources to meet the various needs of the community and improve the quality of the Land Reform projects. Racially based legislations were developed to take the land from black people. Land Reform aims at redressing the injustices of the past. Community developmental needs are diverse. Therefore Land Reform alone is inadequate to meet all the needs of the community. The integrated intervention of other stakeholders is required. The research explores the adaptation of Integrated Development Approach in Land Reform by obtaining the perceptions of the Mgai people regarding the future development needs of the Mgai Farm. Special focus was on tenure, socioeconomic and infrastructural issues. The Local Umzumbe and the Ugu District Municipalities have developed their Integrated Development Plans to ensure co-ordinated development and equitable allocation of resources. Mgai project is incorporated into their Integrated Development Plans. The research reveals that Mgai community live under communal tenure system in the surrounding tribal areas. It lacks skill and competencies for entering the formal job markets. There is no existing infrastructure in Mgai Farm. The community have needs infrastructure such as schools, clinics, and community halls. Land Reform in isolation cannot provide for community needs. It is noted that Land Reform is still implemented in a fragmented manner because the other stakeholders are involved in the project after the project have been approved. This poses a challenge into the sustainability of the project. Recommendations offered in this research provide opportunities for future research and ensuring that project are implemented. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

The objective of this study is to research how the slow process of land redistribution in South Africa can be accelerated, given the urgency of land resettlement. A subprogramme of redistribution, Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD), was launched by the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs in A1.}gust 2001. A redistribution project goes through five phases (refer Appendix A for LRAD project cycle). Each phase has different steps, which is an LRAD project cycle. Firstly, the thesis analyses the project cycle - the aim was to establish how long it would take a farmer to obtain ownership of land and how the process can be expedited to settle more farmers. Secondly, it studies the role and views of stakeholders involved in the programme (such as NGOs, financial (nstitutions, design agents and governmental departments). Thirdly, it examines the performance and progress made since the implementation of the programme In KwaZulu-Natal. Lastly, the study focuses on problems and general concerns regarding the policy. Some policy recommendations on the need and performance of land redistribution in South Africa are made. The LRAD project cycle could take at least nine months or more. During this period beneficiaries cannot buy land from auctions, while some landowners are reluctant to go through with this long process, because it may not result in a land sale. Engaging property owners in the process can accelerate land delivery. In addition, government must try to streamline its policies and procedures, so that landowners who wish to sell do not perceive it to be such a serious disadvantage to engage in selling to redistribution applicants. The LRAD programme started slowly in KwaZulu-Natal and by the end of 11 April 2002, the DLA had received only 105 applications for the grant. By May 2003, out of 1 300 applications only 169 had been transferred since LRAD started. According to experience by Ithala Bank, many projects are delayed and sales collapse. Long delays are a major problem, because many projects are approved but few transferred. A recommendation is that commercial banks be given a chance to approve LRAD grants, contingent on loan approval. Extending approval powers to commercial banks has the advantage of identifying creditworthy projects quickly and accurately, as private lenders are putting their own resources at risk. Some of the problems and concerns identified around LRAD are: disposal of state land and unresolved land-claims. The Department of Land Affairs (DLA) needs to integrate the new programme with other programmes of land reform, especially in cases where different communities are competing for the same land, but through different programmes. Another problem is that the programme has missed market opportunities because landowners are reluctant to sell due to delays and uncertainty. The DLA has consistently been under-spending their budget, leading to their budget being cut. Financial assistance to farmers with no own collateral is insufficient. The farmers are not being placed in a financial position to purchase a viable farm and they will experience serious cash flow problems if maximum loans from the Land Bank are accessed. The Department of Agriculture (DoA) has postponed the training programme several times and to date it is not yet implemented. It is highly recommended that the issue of mentorship be addressed, as a matter of urgency. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

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.