BROADENING THE LANDSCAPE:
ALTERNATIVE VIEWS ABOUT WHY SOUTH AFRICA’S LAND REFORM FAILS AS A DECOLONIZATION PROJECT

Hosted by the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at Rhodes University

Almost three decades after the official end of the apartheid, South Africa has been on a sturdy path that is characterised by deepening spatial, social and economic inequalities.  Land reform is one of the policies that held the hope of many South Africans that it would make a substantial contribution to decolonization, including justice for victims of colonialism and apartheid. But land reform has dismally fallen short. We argue that the most common critiques of land reform, including poor state capacity, lack of political support, limited budget, and so forth, are only manifestations of a deeper problem. These critiques limit debates and actions on land reform to the same platforms that were fundamental in colonization and apartheid.

It is important to take a step back, our speakers Mr Siyabulela Manona and Prof Thembela Kepe argue, and broaden our diagnosis of the problem through understanding the broader concept of land and its meanings. This idea originates from their exploration of the necessarily broad concept of land administration.

DATE:    Thurs, 12^th November
TIME:     14h15

CHAIR:
Prof Cyril Nhlanhla Mbatha, Director, Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at Rhodes University

SPEAKERS:
Mr Siyabulela Manona, PhD candidate in Geography, Rhodes University and a director of Phuhlisani NPC and LandNNES.

Prof Thembela Kepe, Professor in the Department of Geography, University of Toronto, and a Visiting Professor at Rhodes University.

RESPONDENT:
Prof Peliwe Mnguni, Associate Professor, Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL)