Does Post-Settlement Support Play a Role in the Success of Land Reform? The Case of Resettlement Beneficiaries in Namibia. INGRID EMMY !HOAËS Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy, Sustainable Development Planning and Management, at the University of Stellenbosch Supervisor: Gareth Haysom December 2009 DECLARATION By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the owner of the copyright thereof (unless to the extend explicitly otherwise stated) and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification Date: 20 February 2010 VERKLARING Deur hierdie tesis elektronies in te lewer, verklaar ek dat die geheel van die werkhierin vervat, my eie, oorspronklike werk is, dat ek die outeursregeienaar daarvan is (behalwe tot die mate uitdruklik anders aangedui) en dat ek dit nie vantevore, in die geheel of gedeeltelik, ter verkryging van enige kwalifikasie aangebied het nie Datum: 20 February 2010 Copyright © 2010 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved 2 ABSTRACT The research deals with post-settlement support in Namibia‟s land reform process. Post-settlement support (PSS) is seen as vital and critical in all land and agrarian reform processes, as can be told from experiences worldwide. Its absence or presence can have a number of consequences or successes in the whole process. PSS can be viewed as the “after care” to be provided by government to new farmers after resettling them. It could be in the form of financial support, extension services and maintenance of infrastructure as well as training services for the farmers. The paper deals with the current status of post-settlement support in the country for land a reform beneficiary, who provides PSS, if it is provided and how it is done. It further looks at perceptions and practices about land reform, in some regions of the world as well as in Namibia. The methodology used was through extensive literature review of policy documents, interviews with different stakeholders and two case studies, looking at beneficiaries of the land reform, specifically the national land resettlement programme beneficiaries. The paper found that there is definitely a link between the poor productivity and lack of PSS in Namibia‟s land reform process. PSS is not consistent; it is selected or sometimes randomly carried out. Most of the PSS programmes currently provided is not initiated by government but by donor agencies and Non- governmental organisations. There is no coordination between the different stakeholders such as the line ministries. The paper illustrates that choosing the correct beneficiaries of the land reform process is vital in achieving sustainable, land use and management, as well as equitable land redistribution in an arid Namibia. i OPSOMMING Hierdie navorsing handel oor ondersteuning wat hervestigde boere ontvang na vestiging. Die ondersteuning aan hervestigdes is krities en belangrik in alle fasette van grond en landbou hervormings prosesse. Die huidige wêreld verleen groot steun aan hierdie gevolgtrekking. Daarvoor hou die toepasing oftewel nie- toepasing van na-hervestigings ondersteuning groot risiko vir die sukses van die hele hervestigings proses. Hierdie tipe ondersteuning vir hervestigdes kan as „n noodsaaklike na diens wat die staat kan lewer aan die nuwe grond eienaars. Sulke ondersteuning deur die staat kan verskeie vorms inneem. Dit kan geskied deur finansielle hulp oftewel landbou dienste wat ook die instandhouding van plaas infrastruktuur kan behels. In hierdie navorsing kyk ons na opvattings rakende hervestigings ondersteuining soos ervaar deur die hervestigdes. Die navorsing is gebaseer op literatuur van reg-oor die wereld aangaande hierdie vraag stuk. Ons het ook onderhoude gevoer met verskillende belanghebbendes met twee gevalle studies wat handel oor die ervarringe van hervestigdes. Die navorsing vind dat daar n definitiewe verband tussen swak produksie opbrengste en na-hervestiging ondersteuning is. Ons vind dat hierdie tipe ondersteuning ad hoc is met baie min koordinering deur die staat masjienery. Ons vind dat dit op die lange duur belangrik is om die regte mense te selekteer vir hervestiging programme, veral as in ag geneem word dat Namibie „n taamlike droë land is. ii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank the Heavenly Father for the opportunity that he has granted me to study at the University of Stellenbosch, which was always my dream as a young school graduate. My friends were very instrumental in me completing this degree but I would single out two. My sincere thanks go to Patricia Skeyer and Matthew //Gowaseb for the belief that they had in me, their encouragement, and support in various forms that enabled me to carry on until the end. I would like to thank my loving family for the support they had been giving me throughout the years that I have been studying, especially my mother for always keeping me in your prayers. My sincere appreciation goes to all the special people that enabled me through their input to make this thesis possible, they are my sources that availed their time to make it possible. Everybody else that availed his/her time to give some information, be it little advice, a book or just encouragement. Lastly but not least, I thank my supervisor, Gareth Haysom for the always encouraging comments which boosted my confidence in completing my thesis. iii Dedication This paper is dedicated to my father, Isak Thaddues !Hoaeb, who was such an inspiration during my childhood and did everything in his power to enable us as children to get a decent education. Father this is dedicated to you to show my appreciation for everything that you have done for us as a family. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... I OPSOMMING ............................................................................................................................................. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................... III CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ................................................................. 1 1.1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 3 1.3. AIM OF STUDY AND MOTIVATION .............................................................................................. 6 1.4. RESEARCH PROBLEM/HYPOTHESIS ............................................................................................ 8 1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .....................................................10 2.1 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................10 2.2 LIMITATIONS.........................................................................................................................................18 2.3 MY ROLE AS A JOURNALIST ..................................................................................................................19 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................22 3.2 REVIEW OF OFFICIAL POLICY DOCUMENTS ON LAND REFORM .........................................25 3.3 THE EFFECTS OF LAND REFORM ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. ....................................................................................................................................41 3.4. HISTORY OF POST-SETTLEMENT SUPPORT IN PRE-INDEPENDENT NAMIBIA ..................51 3.5. WHY NEW FARMERS SHOULD DEPEND ON POST-SETTLEMENT SUPORT (PSS) ...............55 3.6. MODEL OF CURRENT POST-SETTLEMENT SUPPORT IN NAMIBIA ......................................56 3.7. CURRENT STATUS, DEBATES AND PERCEPTIONS ON LAND REFORM IN NAMIBIA AND THE SADC REGION. ..............................................................................................................................62 3.8. EXAMPLES OF POST SETTLEMENT SUPPORT IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD ...............80 3.8.1 BRAZIL ................................................................................................................................................80 3.8.2 Philippines ........................................................................................................................................83 v 3.8.3 Australia............................................................................................................................................85 3.8.4 Zimbabwe ..........................................................................................................................................88 3.8.5 Mozambique ......................................................................................................................................92 CHAPTER FOUR: LAND REFORM AND SETTLEMENT SUPPORT ROLE PLAYERS ..............96 4.1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................96