2012年-世界发展银行全球_Land_Redistribution_in_South_Africa___A_Critical_Review_28页_347kb

Summary of Land Redistribution in South Africa: A Critical Review

Core Content

This paper critically examines the land reform and redistribution policies in South Africa from 1994 to 2011. It evaluates the effectiveness of these policies in achieving socio-economic equity, improving agricultural efficiency, and fostering rural development.

Main Objectives of Land Reform

• Redress historical land injustices caused by colonial and apartheid-era policies.
• Secure land rights for historically disadvantaged communities.
• Promote equitable access to land and natural resources.
• Enhance economic growth and poverty reduction through rural development.

Key Programs and Policies

Land Restitution

• Based on the Restitution of Land Rights Act (1994).
• Aims to return land to those dispossessed under racially discriminatory laws.
• 76,696 claims were lodged by 1998, with 10,274 rural claims settled by 2011.
• Restitution is often more successful in urban areas, while rural claims remain complex and costly.

Tenure Reform

• Focuses on securing land rights for farm workers and tenants.
• Includes the Extension of Security of Tenure Act (ESTA, 1997) and the Land Reform (Labor Tenants) Act (1996).
• Despite legal frameworks, tenure reform has been ineffective, with limited enforcement and lack of dedicated budgets.
• CLaRA (Communal Land Rights Act, 2004) was declared unconstitutional in 2010 due to its perceived failure to secure individual land rights, especially for women.

Land Redistribution

• Based on the Provision of Land and Assistance Act (1998).
• Mainly follows the WSWB (Willing Seller-Willing Buyer) model, emphasizing market-based land acquisition.
• SLAG (Settlement/Land Acquisition Grant) and LRAD (Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development) were earlier programs, but PLAS (Pro-active Land Acquisition Strategy) has become dominant since 2006.
• PLAS involves state-led land purchases, with leasehold allocations to beneficiaries.

Challenges in Implementation

• Underutilization of land by beneficiaries due to inappropriate project design, lack of support services, and shortages of working capital.
• Minimal support to new farmers, resulting in limited impact on livelihoods.
• Bureaucratic inefficiencies and complex procedures hinder progress.
• Insufficient funding and budgetary shortfalls have slowed down land acquisition and implementation.
• Failure to involve beneficiaries in the design and implementation of their projects.
• Absence of a viable small-farmer path to development, which is essential for incremental wealth accumulation and sustainable rural economies.

Policy Gaps and Criticisms

• The current approach is seen as inadequate for achieving equity and efficiency in land use.
• WSWB has been criticized for favoring commercial interests, not addressing the needs of the poor, and not promoting small-scale farming.
• Land tax and expropriation mechanisms have not been effectively implemented to discourage speculation and reduce land prices.
• Tenure reform has failed to secure land rights for vulnerable groups, especially women and labor tenants.

Key Findings

• Land reform has not significantly improved agricultural efficiency, income, employment, or economic growth.
• Redistribution targets have not been met, with only 7.2% of white-owned agricultural land transferred to beneficiaries by 2011.
• The focus has shifted from quantitative targets to qualitative goals like deracialization and productive use.
• Civil society and landless people's organizations have called for a more radical approach to land reform, including subdivision of large holdings and greater involvement of beneficiaries.

Conclusion

The paper argues that South Africa's land reform program, particularly its land redistribution component, has not delivered the expected outcomes. It highlights the need for more inclusive and supportive policies, greater involvement of beneficiaries, and sustainable implementation mechanisms to achieve the broader goals of equity, economic growth, and social cohesion.

Key Statistics

Source: South Africa, Department of Land Affairs, cited by PLAAS (Umhlaba Wethu 13, June 2011)

References to Key Concepts

• WSWB (Willing Seller-Willing Buyer): Dominant model in land redistribution, but criticized for being market-driven and ineffective for the poor.
• LRAD (Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development): Focused on commercial agriculture, but often benefited better-off groups.
• PLAS (Pro-active Land Acquisition Strategy): A more state-led approach, but still lacks support mechanisms for beneficiaries.
• CLaRA (Communal Land Rights Act): Declared unconstitutional due to undemocratic practices and lack of individual rights.

Recommendations

• Radical restructuring of farm units to enable family-size farms.
• Realistic farm planning and appropriate support services.
• Greater involvement of beneficiaries in project design and implementation.
• Sustained focus on implementation, resource mobilization, and policy adjustment.
• Introduction of land taxes and expropriation mechanisms to promote equitable land use.