Promoting development and land reform on South African farms

Title: Promoting development and land reform on South African farms
Creator: Husy, Dave, Samson, Carolien
Subject: Land reform -- South Africa
Subject: Agricultural labourers -- South Africa -- Social conditions
Date: 2001-06-4/5
Type: text
Type: book
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/75306
Identifier: vital:30399
Description: The issue of social development for farm workers has always been a contentious one, primarily due to a history of development being one of repression and exploitation. Decades of exploitative control have left a social situation characterised by poverty and extreme inequality of power, between farmer and worker, black and white people, and between men and women. The legacy of this brutal past is not only to be found in the conditions under which farm workers now live, but rather the psychological and institutional barriers preventing their achievement of a better life though effectively utilising the opportunities available to them. Poverty and marginalisation is a formidable barrier to overcome in this environment. In becomes clear that any development programme aimed at providing farm workers with support in their struggle for a better life - the essence of “development” - will of necessity need to address these factors. The complexity of the farm situation, with its myriad of historical, social and economic problems, requires an innovative approach which represents a combination of, and compromise between, the priorities for farmers and those of workers, and mechanisms which promote broad based minimum standards as well as innovation and leverage for longer term benefit. The Land and Agricultural Bank of South Africa has initiated a number of products and programmes to promote development and land reform for farm workers. The intention of these is to stimulate farm based development through leveraging the various governmental development programmes and the commitment of landowners. In particular, Land Bank is to introduce a Social Discount Product to provide incentives for the Bank’s clients to implement development projects on their farms. This article explores some of the issues Land Bank has experienced in developing its products to promote farm based development, and specifically the Social Discount Product. It examines in "brief the current development context for farm workers, and in particular their conditions of life and work. It also reviews some of the current mitiatives to promote farm-based development by a variety of actors, governmental, private sector, and civil society. An outline of the Land Bank’s Social Discount Product and other programmes is then presented. Finally, issues and challenges are identified which are critical to the success of development and land reform for farm workers. The article contends that land reform for farm workers cannot be viewed separately from the broader process of development on farms. The reason for this is partly that land reform, or redistribution, will only affect a minimal number of farm workers, while the majority still seek improvement in their life conditions and opportunities. For this reason, it is important to identify the challenges to development on farms, and the spectrum of measures and interventions necessary for promoting overall development.
Description: Paper presented at the SARPN conference on Land Reform and Poverty Alleviation in Southern Africa Pretoria
Format: 35 pages, pdf
Publisher: Southern African Regional Poverty Network
Language: English
Rights: Southern African Regional Poverty Network
Rights: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission from the publisher

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