Evaluating land and agrarian reform in South Africa : Rural settlement

Abstract

The primary focus of South Africa is land reform programme is the acquisition of land and tenure security. The policies and strategies attached to this programme have provided many people with land. However, access to land is only one component of settlement. Settlement includes the acquisition of land or legal tenure of land, shelter and infrastructure. At present, there is no clear national policy to guide processes of settlement. Settlement is not purely about solving the physical accommodation needs of the poor. In the wider concept of sustainable development, the creation of conditions that will ensure the ongoing livelihood of households settled on such land must form part of the planning and establishment of settlements. This requires that provision be made for support in addition to securing the right to own and occupy land. The array of services and resources involved in creating these conditions may be referred to as settlement support.