How rural land reform policy translates into benefits

Tim GB Hart

Development Southern Africa, 2012, vol. 29, issue 4, 563-573

Abstract: Land reform policy in South Africa has been strongly criticised, especially its instrumentality. However, recent ethnographic studies indicate that it is a complex and deeply social process in which policy is understood differently by different actors. Rather than asking whether land reform works we should ask how it works. Using a case study of SLAG (Settlement Land Acquisition Grant) redistribution beneficiaries in a southern Cape village, this paper describes how these rural residents interpreted policy and used the resources put at their disposal by the state. These local actors' decisions and actions were based largely on their livelihood requirements and frequently determined by their historical experiences and social relationships. Although they behaved in ways that were not anticipated by officials, a number have gained tangible benefits. Beneficiary ‘success stories’ have given credence to the land reform policy, and state officials have responded by continuing to provide support to the project that was the subject of this study.

Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/0376835X.2012.715442 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:deveza:v:29:y:2012:i:4:p:563-573

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/CDSA20

DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2012.715442

Access Statistics for this article

Development Southern Africa is currently edited by Marie Kirsten

More articles in Development Southern Africa from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().