An investigation into poverty alleviation involving land reform: a case study in Umkhanyakude District
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Date
2009
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Abstract
The study investigated the poverty alleviation involving Land Reform Program (LRAD) Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development at Nhlahlayethu Farm (Umkhanyakude District).
Besides land that has been taken back from White farmers and given to Black people; very little has been done to show the difference in poverty alleviation. Observations indicate that agricultural activity in land reform projects (LRAD- Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development) decrease significantly on land that was commercially viable under previous management. Large numbers of people presently own land that was initially owned by one person.
Therefore, the first aim of the study was to investigate challenges and opportunities of land reform projects. The second aim of the study was to determine the general perspectives of the target farmers on agricultural farming. The third objective of the study was to investigate the general causes of non- functionality of land reform projects. The fourth objective of the study was to investigate how the whole group of farmers could work the farm up to its full potential and to determine how the Department of Land Affairs and Agriculture, could collaborate to improve development efforts towards sustainable land reform projects.
The findings revealed that farmers experience a lot of challenges caused by the lack of funds and farming equipment after the land has been transferred. This ends up making the program of land reform not fully effective in alleviating poverty. Positive perspective of farmers towards farming is hindered by the lack of' farming management skills accompanied by the rate of illiteracy.
Policies between the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs need to be aligned so that after transferring the farm to beneficiaries, resources are available for supporting the target farmers.
On the basis of the findings of this study, recommendations to the Land Reform Program (LRAD- Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development) as well as for directing future research were made.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the The University of Zululand, South Africa, 2009.
Keywords
Poverty alleviation, Land Reform Program, Land Redistribution