The Historical Context of Land Reform in South Africa and Early Policies

Abstract

The need for the current land reform programme arose from the racially discriminatory laws and practices which were in place for the largest part of the twentieth century, especially those related to land ownership. The application of these discriminatory laws and practices resulted in extreme inequalities in relation to land ownership and land use. This article provides an overview of the most prominent legislation which provides the framework for the policy of racially-based territorial segregation. It further discusses the legislative measures and policies which were instituted during the period from 1991 to 1997, aimed at abolishing racially-based laws and practices related to land and which eventually provided the basis to the current land reform programme.

Management information sources and communication strategies for commercially oriented smallholder beef cattle producers in Limpopo province, South Africa

“…Commercially oriented farmers were created through the government’s agrarian reform and developmental support programmes and are currently transitioning to operate at a commercial scale (Mabaya et al, 2011). Government’s support programmes were adopted to redress the historic land imbalance that was created by apartheid policies and bridging the gap between White commercial and Black subsistence farmers (Kloppers and Pienaar, 2014). The apartheid policies allowed agricultural land to be owned by the minority White population, while the majority Black population was forced to occupy less productive land (Kloppers and Pienaar, 2014).…”

“…Government’s support programmes were adopted to redress the historic land imbalance that was created by apartheid policies and bridging the gap between White commercial and Black subsistence farmers (Kloppers and Pienaar, 2014). The apartheid policies allowed agricultural land to be owned by the minority White population, while the majority Black population was forced to occupy less productive land (Kloppers and Pienaar, 2014). The Limpopo Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)-Nguni cattle project is one of the initiatives started to foster the commercialization of previously disadvantaged Black smallholder farmers in the rural areas of South Africa.…”

Contextual influences of illicit adolescent marijuana cultivation and trading in the Inqguza Hill local municipality of South Africa: implications for public health policy

“…This was compounded by the lack of access to land for agrarian purposes in post-apartheid South Africa. As most people lost their lands in the historical past, and with a growing call for land reforms in the country [ 64 ], individuals go to great lengths to protect their lands from being taken over. Thus, everyone, including adolescents, will do whatever it takes to own or prevent their lands from being taken over, even if it means illegally growing marijuana on it.…”

Determinants of Female Entrepreneurship Success in the Agricultural Sector: An Examination of Smes in South Africa

“…As great as this sound, the NDP has become close to a complete failure at times, as discrimination appeared at the forefront in the disowning of farms without compensation (Rusenga, 2019). In the Gauteng, Western Cape, and Free State Provinces of South Africa, various once-promising agricultural SMEs have since disappeared from the radar as it landed in the wrong hands of inexperienced individuals and corrupt institutions (Kloppers and Pienaar, 2014). Nonetheless, the agricultural sector in South Africa remains healthy and undergoes constant alterations to continue promoting fair equity and efficiency in the years to come (Rusenga, 2019).…”