Who shaped South Africa's land reform policy?

Abstract

This paper investigates the South African (land reform) policy formulation process in the period 1993 to 2000. The paper argues that the political process of policy formulation and the nature of subsequent policies are the results of the distribution of power within a given society, as well as globally, and the interaction (inclusion or exclusion) of a variety of local and international interest groups and individuals within the context of a particular political system. The wide range of actors that shaped South African land policy include the former National Party government, the World Bank, the African National congress (ANC), rural and land‐related non‐governmental organizations, the white commercial agricultural sector, the National African Farmers' Union, the former Department of Native Affairs, and the new departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs. This paper gives a brief account and analysis of the role played by each of the organizations or institutions mentioned above, but also highlights the fact that the poorest and most marginalized sectors of South African society were not part of the policy development process. As a result, a three‐part, legalistic, demand‐driven, market‐based (i.e. willing‐buyer and willing‐seller) land reform programme was developed.