View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by South East Academic Libraries System (SEALS) Rural Resettlement Scheme Evaluation: A Case Study of the Mfengu in Tsitsikamma Thesis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Rural Development) Rhodes University Department of Sociology and Industrial Sociology Grahamstown By Churchill M. Fakudze December 2000 Abstract In 1997 South Africa came out with a policy aimed at addressing the legacy of apartheid in respect of an unequal division of land in the country. About 3.5 million people were moved from rural and urban areas between 1960 and 1980 and deposited in the reserves or areas designed for the exclusive occupation of black people. The new land policy attempts to deal with the resultant problems. The policy advocates a three-pronged approach to land reform encompassing (i) land restitution, (ii) land redistribution and (iii) land tenure reform. A number of projects have been carried out under these three aspects. This study aims to investigate and evaluate the results of a completed land restitution case. The Mfengu of Tsitsikamma was chosen as a case study because the people have moved back and are now living on their land. The Mfengu were dispossessed of their land in 1977 by the apartheid government and their land was returned in 1994. Although this case was processed outside of the land restitution legislation (Restitution of Land Rights Act, 22 of 1994), all restitution cases where people return to their original land have to deal with the problems of resettlement. From its involvement in various involuntary resettlement projects, the World Bank concluded that the new communities of resettlers should be designed as a viable settlement system equipped with infrastructure and services and integrated in the regional socio-economic context. The host communities receiving the resettlers should be assisted to overcome possible adverse social and environmental effects from the increased population density. These concerns are valid for the South African situation, and the question is, whether this resettlement encapsulates the above. The goals of the research are twofold. To evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the resettlement project and its sustainability. In particular focussing on the constraints to the implementation of the land policy. Research questions include the following: How was the project carried out? Is the resettlement integrated into the socio-economic and development planning of the area? How viable and sustainable is the new settlement? What are the major problems and challenges facing this area and how can they be overcome? DEDICATION Dedicated to my former Physical Planning Team and Associates: Bosco/Dumsile Khoza, Lungile/Njabulo Dlamini, Samuel/Lungile Seyama, Simo/Ncamsile Dlamini?, Mathokoza/Bridget Shongwe, Busa Ginindza, Thulasizwe Dlamini, Virginia Dube, Bafana Mchobokazi and Musa Masuku. It was an honour working with you guys! ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to thank my supervisor Monty Roodt for his guidance and advise during the course of this project. Rosalie Kingswill for her guidance and advise with the research proposal. The people of Tsitsikamma who participated in the survey, the officials and individuals who game time for my interviews and the Tsitsikamma Development Trust (Mfengu) for their support, especially Sindile Skhosana, Nombeko Gamede and Z. Xayimbi from the Trust office, W. Khoza Trust Chairman and C. Mzili Trust member. Special thanks to John Hops, independent Trust member for availing the Trust records, reviewing the report and his willingness to assist. And the Rhodes Library staff for their help. Very Special thanks to Babalwa Sishuta for being a friend and her unwavering support and assistance both academic and otherwise. My family in Swaziland especially mom and my younger brother Terrence, my best friend Kenneth Makhanye, Lomvula Hlophe and Nkhululeko Gwebu, thank you for your efforts to making my life comfortable at Rhodes. And last but not least, very special thanks to Rute Rangeiro for the ‘cocoon thing’ and the ‘unfinished story’….I guess its true ‘Life is a journey not a destination’! Above all I want to thank my Heavenly Father for making everything possible and being my shepherd and protector while in Grahamstown. iii TABLE OF CONTENT Abstract i Dedication ii Acknowledgement iii Acronyms v List of Figures vi List of Tables vi Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Land History and The Forced Removal of the Mfengu 4 Chapter 2 Post Apartheid Land Policy 15 Chapter 3 Rural Development and Physical Planning 22 Chapter 4 Resettlement and Rural Development 29 Chapter 5 The Study Area 49 Chapter 6 Evaluation and Methodology 57 Chapter 7 The Mfengu Return to Tsitsikamma 67 Chapter 8 Conclusion 99 Appendix 106 List of Interviewed Persons 110 Bibliography 111 iv ACRONYMS AMC Area Management Committee CCPT Clarkson Communal Property Trust CPA Communal Property Association DFA Development Facilitation Act, 1995 IDP Integrated Development Plan IDT Independent Development Trust LDO Land Development Objectives LGTA Local Government Transition Act, 1993 PPA Physical Planning Act, 1991 SANT South African Native Trust TEA Tsitsikamma Exile Association TDT(M) Tsitsikamma Development Trust (Mfengu) USAID United States Agency for International Development WB World Bank WDC Western District Council v List of Figures Figure 1.1 Location of Tsitsikamma and Keiskammahoek 11 Figure 1.2 Historical Mfengu Land (1977) 12 Figure 4.1 The Restitution Process Flow Chart 41 Figure 5.1 Mfengu Farms – Tsitsikamma (Study Area) 52 Figure 6.1 Policy Making Cycle 59 Figure 7.1 Mfengu Farms Occupation Status 80 Figure 7.2 Proposed Area Management Committee Boundaries 80 List of Tables Table 5.1 Mfengu Farms and Occupation Status 54 Table 6.1 Socioeconomic Factors 60 Mfengu Sources of Income 83 Livestock Ownership 84 Table 7.1 Community Profile 85 Table 7.2 Socioeconomic Factors Implications 96 vi Introduction In 1997 South Africa came out with a policy aimed at addressing the legacy of apartheid in respect of an unequal division of land in the country. As a result of the application of various pieces of racist legislation, black South Africans were deprived of their land rights, forcefully removed from their land and dumped in homelands and reserves characterised by environmental degradation and overcrowding (owing to increased population in limited and inadequate land). About 3.5 million people were moved from rural and urban areas between 1960 and 1980 and deposited in the reserves or areas designed for the exclusive occupation of black people. The new land policy attempts to deal with these abiding problems. The government, after the democratic elections of 1994, inherited a situation where the black majority of the country’s population occupied only 13% of the land surface. The government has to ensure that blacks get access to land and that they enjoy greater security of tenure on that land. The policy advocates a three-pronged approach to land reform encompassing (i) land restitution, (ii) land redistribution and (iii) land tenure reform. A number of projects have been carried out under these three aspects. This study aims to investigate and evaluate the results of a completed land restitution case. The Mfengu of Tsitsikamma was chosen as a case study because the people have moved back and are now living on their land. The Mfengu were dispossessed of their land in 1977 by the apartheid government and their land was returned in 1994. Although this case was processed outside of the land restitution legislation (Restitution of Land Rights Act, 22 of 1994), all restitution cases where people return to their original land have to deal with the problems of resettlement. The goals of the research are twofold. To evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the resettlement project and its sustainability. In particular focussing on the constraints to the implementation of the land policy. Research questions include the following: How was the project carried out? Is the resettlement integrated into the socio-economic and development planning of the area? How viable and sustainable is the new settlement? What are the major problems and challenges facing this area and how can they be overcome? 1 From its involvement in various involuntary resettlement projects, the World Bank concluded that “The new communities of resettlers should be designed as a viable settlement system equipped with infrastructure and services and integrated in the regional socio-economic context. The host communities receiving the resettlers should be assisted to overcome possible adverse social and environmental effects from the increased population density” (World Bank, 1994:10-20). These concerns are valid for the South African situation, and the question is, whether this resettlement encapsulates the above. The purpose of an evaluation study on a project still being implemented is to assess the extent to which social and /or economic objectives are being met. If these objectives are not being achieved then the task of the evaluation is to determine the causes and to suggest ways in which the objectives can be reached, or in which they should be modified. For an ex-post evaluation, the task is to determine the extent to which the original objectives of the program were met and if not, what were the likely causes. The suggestion of adjustments to future programmes is part of this process (Bowden, 1988: 57/8). The evaluation of the Tsitsikamma resettlement scheme and the approach followed in this project is detailed in eight chapters, briefly outlined below. Chapter 1 Land History and The Forced Removal of the Mfengu – Gives a brief history of land struggles and dispossession in South Africa. The case of the Mfengu forced removal is also discussed. Chapter 2 Post Apartheid Land Policy – Briefly discusses the post 1994 democratic government land policy and their approach to dealing with the apartheid legacy of land problems and how the resettlement aspect is dealt with.