Post-settlement Support Research Articles

Post‐Settlement Support Impact on the Welfare of Emerging Farmers’ Households in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Several policies and programs have been implemented to improve the welfare of households in rural South Africa through commercialization. Post‐settlement support (PSS) refers to any kind of assistance that emerging farmers received from the government following land restoration. This paper examines the impact of PSS on the welfare of emerging farmers under the land restitution program in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study involved a simple random sampling method to select 200 emerging farmers. The primary data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the endogenous switching regression model. Descriptive statistics revealed that ~71% of land restitution beneficiaries received PSS after acquiring their land. The result of the selection model showed that farm characteristics (farming experience, location, and soil quality), and institutional factors (transportation and market participation) influenced the receiving of the PSS by the farmers. The outcome model showed that PSS positively influences household welfare. In addition, demographic factors (gender and household size), farm characteristics (soil quality), and institutional factors (market participation and farmer association membership) influenced the consumption expenditure per capita, hence affecting household welfare. The government should continue supporting female beneficiaries with access to market, training, and extension services for linkages with farmers’ associations as the PSS increases the household welfare.

Proposing a farm assessment toolkit: evaluating a South African land reform case study

ABSTRACT The paper presents a robust, scientific evaluation method to determine the potential viability of a farm, compared to its current performance. The comparison informs recommendations for sustainable farm development. The process entails a stepwise analysis of land suitability, enterprise potential, infrastructure status, operator capacity, inherent limitations and external risks of the farm. An expert panel considers quantitative and qualitative data to establish suitable development measures. Applied to a land reform initiative, ±2000 farms entailing 1.86 million hectares were evaluated, detailing corrective measures for each farm. Roughly 59% of the evaluated farms were potentially commercial, but only 7% performed accordingly. Correlations between farmer capability and farm performance, as well as between infrastructure and performance, were evident, indicating that post-settlement support is vital. As risk and limitation scores increased, farm viability tended to decrease. The tool accurately determined viability based on available resources (natural and physical), resulting in evidence-based policy advice. The evaluation informed land reform policy recommendations, proposing more coordinated support to improve access to services. The tool would also be useful for farmers to reflect on enterprise performance. The visual, sequential nature of the evaluation facilitates sound decision-making. The tool has potential as a valid agricultural development evaluation instrument.

Impact of Recapitalisation and Development Programme on Performance of Land Reform Beneficiary Farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Providing appropriate post-settlement support to farmers is crucial for sustainable development of smallholder agriculture in South Africa. In unravelling this, the South Africa’s Recapitalization and Development Programme (RADP) was initiated. Hence, this study analysed the impact of RADP on performance of land reform beneficiary farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select (n = 264) respondents for the study. Accounting for endogeneity issues in RADP assessments and its impact on the performance of land reform farmers, an endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) was employed. In the same vein, a doubly-robust inverse probability weighted regression adjustment was used as credible remedy for potentially biased estimates of ATT and POM of endogenous treatment model. The main findings revealed that tax compliance, secondary organization, legal entity, farm potential income at acquisition, farmers receiving third party assistance and strategic partnership were statistically significant in influencing the participation of farmers in RADP. Mentorship remains an extremely challenging element in post-settlement. However, through the strategic partnership of RADP farmers had likelihood to improve the farm and increase farm income. The results of the suggest that the RADP can contribute to a deep process of change and empowerment of farmers. In the same vein, strategic partnership of RADP is likely to improve the farmers’ performance. Therefore, there is a need to strongly improve mentorship and strategic partnership programme to encourage participation of land reform farmers in the support programmes.

PERCEPTION ON LAND REFORM IN REEF, NKOMAZI DISTRICT MPUMALANGA, SOUTH AFRICA

Ponte Academic JournalOct 2020, Volume 76, Issue 10 PERCEPTION ON LAND REFORM IN REEF, NKOMAZI DISTRICT MPUMALANGA, SOUTH AFRICAAuthor(s): Agholor A. Isaac ,Gama BongiweJ. Ponte - Oct 2020 - Volume 76 - Issue 10 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2020.10.6 Abstract:The study examined smallholder farmers’ perception of land reform in Reef, Nkomazi, South Africa. Data were collected from respondents using focus group discussion, structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Frequency, mean, percentage and ordinal logistics regression were used for data analysis. Results indicate that gender (P-value = 0.036, β=.862), age (P-value = .037, β = 0.56), education (P-value = .032, β= -.647) and farm experience (P-value = .002, β = 4.067) were significant variables influencing perception of respondents on land reform. The identified challenges of land reform beneficiaries were credit constraints (82%), insufficient skills (62%), inadequate market information (74%), and inadequate extension advisory services (65%). Land reform should be based on a clear identification of needs assessment, and guided by clear policy framework to address the identified challenges encountered by beneficiaries. Furthermore, post-settlement support should include effective stakeholder consensus during implementation process. Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

The Role Of Mentors In Land Reform Projects Supported Through The Recapitalisation And Development Programme: Findings From Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

Since the beginning of South Africa’s land reform programme in 1994, much concern has been expressed about the uneven performance of newly settled farmers, which has typically been explained by weak ‘post-settlement support’. In 2009, the government launched the Recapitalisation and Development Programme (RADP) in order to assist farms that have received little or no support, especially land reform farms. One salient aspect of the RADP is that it links recipient farmers with strategic partners or mentors, often as a condition of receiving financial support. Qualitative research was conducted in the form of seven in-depth case studies of RADP-supported land reform projects, together with interviews with four RADP mentors and three government officials. Some of the challenges in the farms before RADP funding was received included little or no income, high mortality rate of livestock, and lack of skills. The study revealed that the RADP mentorship remains a vital practice to be considered in capacitating land reform beneficiaries. It is recommended that funds should be made available for mentors to have an agreement of at least three to five years in a single project. Keywords: Land Reform, Mentors, Recapitalisation

Are communities benefiting from land reform models? Investigating forest-based public-private partnerships in selected beneficiary communities in South Africa

Land reform in South Africa, like in other developing countries with a history of land grab and people's displacement, is an issue of serious contestation. The study therefore assessed the accrual of benefits to claimant communities from the two forest-based public-private partnership (PPP) land reform models (Sales and Leaseback, and Community Managed Enterprise). A random sampling technique was used to select 140 and 175 households in Amabomvini and Cata communities in Kwazulu Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces, respectively. Ordinal logistic regression, descriptive analysis, including frequencies and Chi-square were computed to process the data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software (Version 20). From the results, the socioeconomic status of Cata household beneficiaries improved compared to that of Amabomvini after the implementation of forest-based PPP land reform models. Both communities were concerned about non-implementation of post-settlement support by the government upon settlement of their land claims. Tailor-made leadership and business management training should be designed for the CPA committee members and trustees in order to achieve mutual distribution of benefits to all beneficiaries

Introducing CSR - The Missing Ingredient in the Land Reform Recipe?

In reaction to the unequal land ownership brought about by decades of apartheid, the first democratically elected government embarked on an extensive land reform programme - a programme consisting of the three constitutionally protected pillars: restitution, redistribution and tenure reform. The aim of this programme is not only to provide for restitution to persons who lost their land as a result of racially based measures, but also provide previously disadvantaged South Africans with access to land in order to address the unequal land ownership. This research focuses on the restitution and redistribution pillars of the land reform programme.
 
 The progress made in terms of both these sub-programmes has been disappointing. With reference to redistribution the government has set the target to redistribute 30% of white owned commercial agricultural land to black persons by 2014. To date, less than 10% of this target has been achieved and all indications are that the overwhelming majority of land which has been redistributed is not being used productively or have fallen into a state of total neglect. The state of the redistributed land can be attributed to a variety of causes, with the main cause being the government's inability to provide proper post-settlement support to land reform beneficiaries.
 
 Against this background it is clear that alternative options have to be identified in order to improve the result of land reform. This article identifies corporate social responsibility (CSR) as one of the missing ingredients in the recipe for a successful land reform programme. The article introduces CSR and discusses the business case for CSR; identifies its benefits; considers its possible limitations; and examines the major drivers behind the notion. From the discussion of these topics it will become evident that an assumption of social responsibility by businesses in especially the agricultural sector might contribute to an improved land reform programme.

Socio-economic impact of land reform projects benefiting from the Recapitalisation and Development Programme in South Africa

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc. Agric (Agricultural Economics) in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. Advisor: Professor Charles L. Machethe

A JOURNEY OF THE PEOPLE OF BETHANY MARKED BY DISPOSSESSION, STRUGGLE FOR RETURN OF LAND AND CONTINUED IMPOVERISHMENT: A CASE STUDY OF LAND REFORM THAT HAS NOT YET REDUCED POVERTY

This article investigates the history of the farm Bethany in the Free State (a province of South Africa), which was the first mission station of the Berlin Mission Society. It traces its history from the time when Adam Kok II allocated the farm to the Mission Society for the purpose of spreading the gospel to the indigenous people, and to its dispossession through the forced removals of 1939 and later in the 1960s. It argues that the history of the community is a journey from a community that was economically sustainable before the forced removal, to a journey of impoverishment caused by dispossession. After successful restitution of the farm in 1998, the community continues to be impoverished. The article argues for a restitution process that reduces and eliminates poverty and it challenges the Department of Land Affairs to partner with communities that have returned to their ancestral lands. In this partnership the weak and inadequate post-settlement support must be reviewed and improved in view of ensuring that livelihoods are enhanced and poverty reduced, if not eliminated. The article also challenges the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which still owns part of the farm through its Property Management Committee, to equally partner with the community members of whom the majority are members of the Lutheran Church.

An approach to land capability evaluation for agriculture using remote sensing and GIS in Barberspan, North West Province of South Africa

To guarantee food security, job creation and graduate small-scale farmers to commercial farmers, unproductive farms in the North West Province that have resulted from the land reform programme need to be restructured and evaluated for agricultural productivity. This study aimed to assess the land capability of redistributed land using remote sensing and GIS in spatial planning for arable agriculture in a communal land use setting. The primary data were obtained from soil samples collected from 0–100 cm depths. The secondary information was acquired from the remotely sensed data (SPOT 5). Soil properties such as soil texture, soil depth, pH and drainage condition were stored as attributes in a geographical soil database and linked with the soil map units. The physical characteristics and environmental parameters of Barberspan farm were integrated using spatial analyses function in ArcGIS to produce a land capability map. This land capability study was intended for post-settlement support to land reform beneficiaries and other small-scale farmers who are generally left to look out for themselves after transfer of ownership.

A journey of the people of Bethany marked by dispossession, struggle for return of land and continued impoverishment: A case study of land reform that has not yet reduced poverty

This article investigates the history of the farm Bethany in the Free State (a province of South Africa), which was the first mission station of the Berlin Mission Society. It traces its history from the time when Adam Kok II allocated the farm to the Mission Society for the purpose of spreading the gospel to the indigenous people, and to its dispossession through the forced removals of 1939 and later in the 1960s. It argues that the history of the community is a journey from a community that was economically sustainable before the forced removal, to a journey of impoverishment caused by dispossession. After successful restitution of the farm in 1998, the community continues to be impoverished. The article argues for a restitution process that reduces and eliminates poverty and it challenges the Department of Land Affairs to partner with communities that have returned to their ancestral lands. In this partnership the weak and inadequate post-settlement support must be reviewed and improved in view of ensuring that livelihoods are enhanced and poverty reduced, if not eliminated. The article also challenges the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which still owns part of the farm through its Property Management Committee, to equally partner with the community members of whom the majority are members of the Lutheran Church.

Mentorship alliance between South African established and developing farmers for sustainable agriculture sector reform

The South African government provides access to agricultural land for people not adequately represented in the agricultural sector. However, the government lacks sufficient funds and institutional infrastructure to provide post-settlement support to the settled developing farmers. A farmer-to-farmer mentorship programme between established and developing farm types has been identified as an institutional arrangement that could complement the government’s efforts. However, at this stage government and other role-players lack frameworks for this type of mentorship programme.This study conceptualises a complementary mentorship alliance that is loosely structured, without the complicated legal and contractual processes involved in corporate business alliances. This alliance will hopefully lead to highly committed joint ventures in the industry in the near future. The study also provides frameworks within which the role-players could contribute to the success of mentorship programme.

Regionalizing Immigration, Health and Inequality: Iraqi Refugees in Australia

Humanitarian immigrants and refugees face multiple adjustment tasks and post-settlement support services concentrated in metropolitan areas play an important role. As part of an ongoing commitment, the Australian Government has increasingly supported resettlement in rural and regional areas of the country. Drawing on the experience of Iraqi migrants in Victoria, Australia, we examine some of the conditions that characterize regional resettlement and raise key questions for public health policy. Structural vulnerabilities and discriminations impact upon physical, mental and social wellbeing, leading to further exclusion, with negative long-term implications. The discussion throws light on the issues that migrants and refugees may encounter in other parts within Australia, but are also germane in many countries and highlight the resulting complexity for policy-making.

‘Willing buyer, willing seller’: South Africa's failed experiment in market-led agrarian reform

Since its transition to democracy, South Africa has implemented a multifaceted programme of land reform to address problems of historical dispossession and rural poverty, relying heavily on the concept of ‘willing buyer, willing seller’. This version of market-led agrarian reform has been influenced by the World Bank but enjoys support from landowners and elements within the ruling African National Congress committed to maintaining the structure of large-scale, capital-intensive farming. Central to the South African approach is the voluntary acquisition of land, but also important have been the methods of beneficiary selection, of farm planning and of post-settlement support, all of which have been influenced by the market-led approach and serve to discriminate against the very poor. The rate of land transfer remains far below official targets and the limited available evidence suggests that, where land has been transferred, it has made little positive impact on livelihoods or on the wider rural economy. Key to understanding the slow pace of reform is the lack of mobilisation and militancy among the rural poor and landless, who to date have had minimal influence over the design and implementation of the land reform programme.

Mentorship alliance between South African farmers : implications for sustainable agriculture sector reform : viewpoint

The South African government provides access to agricultural land for people not adequately represented in the agricultural sector. However, the government lacks sufficient funds and institutional infrastructure to provide post-settlement support to the settled developing farmers. A farmer-to-farmer mentorship programme between established and developing farm types has been identified as an institutional arrangement that could complement the government's efforts. However, at this stage government and other role-players lack frameworks for this type of mentorship programme.This study conceptualises a complementary mentorship alliance that is loosely structured, without the complicated legal and contractual processes involved in corporate business alliances. This alliance will hopefully lead to highly committed joint ventures in the industry in the near future. The study also provides frameworks within which the role-players could contribute to the success of mentorship programme.