This thesis examines the material and non-material impacts of private game farming for a group of farm dwellers in KwaZulu-Natal. I would like to thank all the residents of the farm who opened their homes and their hearts and accepted my intrusion into their private space.
Introduction
- Introduction
- Rationale and purpose of the study
- Aim and objectives
- Outline of Thesis
Chapter six, focusing on the effects of the move, presents the second part of the results of this thesis. The second part of this chapter examines the impact of the move on farm residents' sense of place and identity.
Theoretical Framework
Introduction
Introducing Space and Place
Robert Sack (1980) argues that the conceptualization of space and place depends on the level of abstraction at which the separation of substance from space takes place. Massey (2005) challenges the conceptualization of space as an empty surface, or as filled with 'things'.
Changing Geographical Approaches to Space and Place
A community member can look at a village and see the tree where he used to play when he was a child. A foreigner, on the other hand, will not have the necessary experience of the place to see the same things.
Landscape and Place
Thus, the idea of landscape is directly related to several basic concepts and established research topics in the discipline. Landscape can be thought of as an expression of the interaction between man and nature.
Spatial Processes of Marginalisation
Once they moved to another space – the art gallery – their behavior was immediately accepted as present (Cresswell, 1996). Marginal places can refer to a division between countries, as illustrated by the notions of the 'North' and the 'South', the 'First World' and the 'Third World', the 'developed'.
Other Aspects of Place
- Place Attachment
- Place Dependence
- Peripatetic Sense of Place
Since the land then acts as a symbol for the farm dwellers, it would follow that the actors within this space must be the farm dwellers. However, the landowner may represent the opposite view, that the land represents a meeting place.
A Brief History of Protected Areas and Impacts on Local Communities
- Conservation Displacements by the State in South Africa
Brockington quotes a scientist who argued that "the disturbance caused by grazing and burning does not necessarily cause harm; it is more likely to result in disturbance that promotes biodiversity. The IUCN's category system has also been criticized. 2008:23) argues that "the success of the category system in broadening the understanding of what 'parks' and protection means has just added to the power of the idea of protected areas".
Assessing Relocation Impacts: Cernea's “Risk and Reconstruction Model” for Resettling
Risks" are defined here as "the potential that a certain course of action will cause future harmful consequences - losses and destruction" (Giddens, 1990 in Cernea. The loss of land is detrimental to both the economic, cultural and social way of life of the residents.
Conclusion
The third tool is thus the problem-solving capacity of the risk model and reconstruction (Cernea, 1997). It can be argued that one of the main strengths of the model is that it offers solutions to the impoverishment risks it proposes. The model here can be used in ex-post evaluation of displacement outcomes.
The actual results can be compared with the major impoverishment risks to examine whether one or more of the risks have materialized.
Methodology
- Introduction
- Qualitative Research
- Data collection and fieldwork
- Qualitative Interviews
- Documentary Evidence
- Sampling
- Ethical considerations
- Data Analysis
- Textual analysis of documentary evidence
- Conclusion
He admitted that the rights of the farm dwellers who lived in the district were not supported by the institutions responsible for this. It was explained that the thesis would try to broaden the understanding of the life situation of the farm dwellers. Much of the documentation consisted of letters from the lawyers of the farm dwellers and the farm owner respectively.
Qualitative methods were chosen as appropriate measures to obtain a deep understanding of the farm dwellers' attachment to their land.
Background to the Study
Introduction
Nature Conservation and Game Parks in South Africa
By the 1870s, elephants, lions, buffalos and rhinos were virtually extinct in large parts of the country, threatening the viability of continued hunting. Thus, anyone caught hunting within the boundaries of reserves or on white-owned land became a poacher – even though these were often landscapes where Africans traditionally hunted for food (Murombedzi, 2003). However, this attitude quickly changed when Africans became 'modernized' and no longer fit the image of the 'exotic indigenous population' (Neumann, 1995).
Traditionally, conservation has been seen as a white issue, which has excluded the majority of the population from accessing areas under protection (AFRA, 2004).
Private Game Reserves
To some extent, independent South Africa adopted the European view of economic development (Wøien, 2002). Private game farms are also accepted by the state because they improve South Africa's statistics on the percentage of the total protected area. Thus, the establishment of private game farms can contribute to the protection of endangered wildlife and habitats.
However, the conservation efforts of private game farms are not as clear cut as the picture above shows.
The System of Labour Tenancy
The labor force usually consisted of the sons in the family, while the daughters often served as domestic helpers. Thus the whole system depended on the father's ability to compel his sons and daughters to do the necessary work that was expected of them. However, over time, the power relationship between tenants and farm owners tilted more and more in favor of the latter.
The labor tenancy system developed into an intervention in the organization and cohesion of homesteads.
The legislative framework
The law stated that Africans could only own land within the boundaries of 'native reserves'. In Natal, labor tenants still constituted the majority of the workforce on white farms in the 1920s (McClendon, 2002). The intention behind the expansion of native reservations was to limit the number of Africans living on white farms, thus preserving the native population.
When the Nationalist government came to power in 1948, better implementation of the Native Trust and Land Act became a high priority.
The Path to Democracy
They argued that labor hire was inefficient and took up an unreasonable share of the available labor force (TRAC, 1988). The result of the elite transition and the concluded agreement was that much of the existing power and wealth structures remained unchanged. Furthermore, the government's centralist approach tended to exclude civil society organizations (CSOs) from participating in the design and implementation of the development agenda.
Even when the ANC committed itself to the POP, representatives of the World Bank were invited to their workshops.
Land Reform in South Africa
- The Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act 1996
- The Extension of Security of Tenure Act 1997
The national land reform program aimed to formalize the informal rights enjoyed by farm dwellers (Hall, 2003). On the other hand, the farm dwellers are responsible for maintaining their part of the relationship. As the situation is now, in many cases children of farm dwellers are forced to leave when they grow up (AFRA, 2005).
The Department of Land Affairs (DLA) was established as an integral part of the land reform program with the responsibility of protecting the tenure rights of South Africa's farm dwellers (Hall, 2003).
Conclusion
Furthermore, the South African Police Force (SAPS) appears to be biased in favor of farm owners in eviction disputes. For a long time, the SAPS did not even consider illegal evictions a crime, making it almost impossible to prosecute the farm owners (Hall, 2003). Like ESTA, the Labor Tenancy Act aims to extend the rights of labor tenants and prevent eviction.
In addition, there is a tendency to confuse labor tenants with farm residents and residents, causing confusion and misinterpretation of the law.
The lead-up to relocation: The farm dwellers and the
- Introduction
- Legal disputes prior to the removal
- Analysis of the process
- Conclusion
Previously, most farm dwellers apparently maintained good relations with farm owners (AFRA, 2004). Farm residents appealed to DLA for assistance, which was apparently approved by both parties (AFRA, 2004). Thus, DLA intended to help the residents of the farm and Mr. Zondi in establishing a more constructive partnership.
The result is that the farm residents are bitter about the outcome of the conflict with the farmer Adriaan (All respondents).
The Effects of the Relocation
Introduction
Exploring the socio-economic impacts
- Cernea’s risk and reconstruction model
- The risk of landlessness
- The risk of joblessness
- The risk of homelessness
- The risk of marginalisation
- The risk of increased morbidity and mortality
- The risk of food insecurity
- The risk of losing access to common property
- The risk of social disarticulation
All the residents of the farm experienced psychological stress resulting from the loss of their home. Residents of the farm said that most of the families had about 50 head of cattle on their property before the relocation. After the resettlement, none of the farm's residents had access to enough pasture or water to support all their livestock.
Most of the farm dwellers interviewed were worried about their children's future.
Place values: the impact of the relocation on farm dwellers’ sense of place and identity
- Values and meanings associated with agriculture and gardening
- Values and meanings associated with cattle
- Values and meanings associated with the ‘magical landscape’
- Values and meanings associated with the home place
- Reflection on the values and meanings associated with the landscape
- Values and meanings associated with the new place
After the relocation, none of the ranchers had enough land to support a large herd of cattle. One of the farm dwellers explained how they had maintained the house over the seasons and years (Respondent M. The farm dwellers revealed that they had little sympathy for their connection to the land.
One of the residents of the farm said that it was very difficult to live in someone else's story (Respondent E.
Conclusion
Another farm dweller from the Mbekizweni community agreed that his map of the site was improving. He said he gained a better understanding of the environment and landscape around him. In his words, he not only had memories of his old home, now he also had memories of the memories.
In his new home, although he got to know it better, he was an outsider.
Conclusion
Introduction
Main Findings
- The Nature of the Process of Relocation
- The State as a Protector?
- The Land as a Container of Values and Meanings
- The Socio-Economic Impacts of Relocation
When the process started in 1997, the first disputes concerned the status of the farm residents. Ultimately, this resulted in the relocation of the farm residents and their dissatisfaction with the outcome. The dissertation showed that the farm residents had a strong bond with their original place of residence.
Farm residents have an intimate relationship with their land; according to Tuan it represents.
Implications of the Findings
The study of the impacts of conservation and tourism on land tenure and ownership patterns in KwaZulu-Natal. Final Report on the Practical Problems of Implementing the Labor Tenancy Act in. Linking Place Preference with Place Meaning: A Study of the Reciprocity of Place Motivation and Place Attachment.
The Agricultural and Agricultural Studies Programme, School of Government, University of the Western Cape.
