Does post-settlement support play a role in the success of land reform? : the case of resettlement beneficiaries in Namibia

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The research deals with post-settlement support in Namibia‟s land reform process. Post-settlement support (PSS) is seen as vital and critical in all land and agrarian reform processes, as can be told from experiences worldwide. Its absence or presence can have a number of consequences or successes in the whole process. PSS can be viewed as the 'after care to be provided by government to new farmers after resettling them. It could be in the form of financial support, extension services and maintenance of infrastructure as well as training services for the farmers.The paper deals with the current status of post-settlement support in the country for land a reform beneficiary, who provides PSS, if it is provided and how it is done. It further looks at perceptions and practices about land reform, in some regions of the world as well as in Namibia.The methodology used was through extensive literature review of policy documents, interviews with different stakeholders and two case studies, looking at beneficiaries of the land reform, specifically the national land resettlement programme beneficiaries.The paper found that there is definitely a link between the poor productivity and lack of PSS in Namibia‟s land reform process. PSS is not consistent; it is selected or sometimes randomly carried out. Most of the PSS programmes currently provided is not initiated by government but by donor agencies and Non-governmental organisations. There is no coordination between the different stakeholders such as the line ministries.The paper illustrates that choosing the correct beneficiaries of the land reform process is vital in achieving sustainable, land use and management, as well as equitable land redistribution in an arid Namibia.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University