Communal Property Associations (CPAs) as facilitators of South Africa's land reform poverty reduction strategies: the case study of Gauteng Province, South Africa

Abstract

This study investigated whether Communal Property Associations (CPAs) are effective structures for poverty reduction among beneficiaries of land reform in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research design, employing semi-structured in-depth telephonic interviews to collect data from 97 participants out of a population of 708 from the Tswelopele, Rama and Koppieskraal CPAs in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Ten percent of the participants were selected randomly from each CPA, using the purposive sampling technique. The findings revealed that beneficiaries gained very little material benefit from their nominal land ownership in terms of cash income or other livelihood activities. In the event where land was transferred with some business operating on it, once the CPA took over, the productivity deteriorated. However, this study concludes that CPAs as a legal entity are not the problem, and that the challenge lies in the obsessive focus on administrative compliance with the CPA Act, which relegates other CPA objectives of the communities (such as economic development) to ill-prepared CPA management structures. Additionally, the study found fault with the CPAs’ implementation process, which is poorly planned and shoddily executed, as many beneficiaries are simply given land after being instructed to establish a CPA, without the necessary support – resulting in dysfunctional CPAs with no expansion of livelihoods. This study concludes that South Africa’s government policies on land reform are fragmented. To mitigate against these challenges, the study recommends that government should revamp CPA policy and project management to fully realise the CPAs’ potential to achieve poverty alleviation. This should include an overarching comprehensive and inclusive policy on the legal entities of land reform, which should address coordination, or reconceptualise the CPA resettlement processes. It should stipulate individual, household and group rights on CPA farms, and the rules of distributing benefits and employment opportunities. Such a policy must also outline the integrated development planning processes of the CPAs and clarify the role of traditional authorities. In a CPA’s management structure, a CPA Project Manager with various fiduciary responsibilities should be appointed and they must account to the CPA’s management committee, which should act as a board or steering committee. This way, CPAs could sustainably address various development issues, including poverty reduction.

Lolu cwaningo luphenye ukuthi ingabe Izinhlangano Zezakhiwo Zomphakathi (CPAs) ziyizinhlaka ezisebenzayo zokunciphisa ububha kwabahlomula ngokubuyiswa komhlaba eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo lwamukele indlela yocwaningo eqoqa nehlaziya imininingwane engeyona izinombolo, lusebenzisa izingxoxo zocingo ezijulile ukuze kuqoqwe imininingwane kubahlanganyeli abangama-97 kubantu abangama-708 abavela kuma-CPA aseTswelopele, eRama naseKoppieskraal esifundazweni saseGauteng, eNingizimu Afrika. Amaphesenti ayishumi ababambiqhaza akhethwe ngokungahleliwe ku-CPA ngayinye, kusetshenziswa indlela yesampula lapho umcwaningi ethembela ekwahluleleni kwakhe, Okutholakele kuveze ukuthi abahlomuli bathola inzuzo encane kakhulu ebunikazini babo bomhlaba ngokwemali engenayo noma eminye imisebenzi yokuziphilisa. Esimeni lapho umhlaba udluliswa kunebhizinisi elithile elisebenza kuwo, uma i-CPA ithatha izintambo, ukukhiqiza kwahohloka. Kodwa-ke, lolu cwaningo luphetha ngokuthi ama-CPA njengenhlangano esemthethweni awayona inkinga, nokuthi inselelo isekugxilweni okugxilile ekuthotshelweni koMthetho we-CPA, owehlisa ezinye izinjongo ze-CPA zemiphakathi (njengokuthuthukiswa komnotho) ukungalungiselelwa kahle kwezakhiwo zokuphatha ze-CPA. Ukwengeza, ucwaningo lwathola iphutha ngenqubo yokuqaliswa kwe-CPAs, engahlelwanga kahle futhi eyenziwe budedengu, njengoba abahlomuli abaningi bavele banikezwe umhlaba ngemuva kokuyalelwa ukuthi basungule i-CPA, ngaphandle kokusekelwa okudingekayo - okuholela ekungasebenzini kahle kwama-CPA ngaphandle kokunwetshwa kwezindlela zokuziphilisa. Lolu cwaningo luphetha ngokuthi izinqubomgomo zikahulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika mayelana nokubuyiselwa komhlaba zihlukene phakathi. Ukuze kuncishiswe ukulwa nalezi zinselele, ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi uhulumeni kufanele avuselele inqubomgomo ye-CPA kanye nokuphathwa kwephrojekthi ukuze afeze ngokugcwele amandla ama-CPA okufeza ukuqeda ubumpofu. Lokhu kufanele kubandakanye inqubomgomo ebanzi nebandakanyayo yezinhlangano ezingokomthetho zokubuyiselwa komhlaba, okufanele ibhekane nokudidiyela, noma icabange kabusha izinqubo zokuhlaliswa kabusha kwe-CPA. Kufanele icacise amalungelo omuntu ngamunye, asekhaya kanye namaqembu emapulazini e-CPA, kanye nemithetho yokusabalalisa izinzuzo namathuba omsebenzi. Inqubomgomo enjalo kufanele futhi iveze izinqubo zokuhlela zentuthuko ezididiyelwe zama-CPA futhi icacise iqhaza leziphathimandla zendabuko. Ohlakeni lokuphatha lwe-CPA, Umphathi wephrojekthi we-CPA onezibopho ezehlukene kufanele aqokwe futhi kufanele aziphendulele ekomitini labaphathi be-CPA, okufanele lisebenze njengebhodi noma ikomidi eliqondisayo. Ngale ndlela, ama-CPA angabhekana ngokuzinzile nezindaba ezihlukene zentuthuko, okuhlanganisa ukuncishiswa kobumpofu.

Thuto ena e ile ya fuputsa hore na Mekgatlo ya Thepa ya Setjhaba (Communal Property Associations) (CPAs) ke mekgatlo e sebetsang hantle bakeng sa phokotso ya bofuma hara bajalefa ba ntjhafatso ya mobu Afrika Borwa. Thuto ena e amohetse moralo wa dipatlisiso tsa boleng, bo sebedisa dipuisano tse tebileng tsa mohala ho bokella dintlha ho tswa ho bankakarolo ba 97 hara baahi ba 708 ba Tswelopele. Rama le Koppieskraal CPAs profinseng ya Gauteng, Afrika Borwa. Diphesente tse leshome tsa bankakarolo ba kgethilwe ka mokgwa o sa rerwang ho tswa ho CPA ka nngwe, ho sebediswa mokgwa wa ho etsa disampole. Diphumano di senotse hore bajalefa ba fumane melemo e fokolang haholo ho tloha ho beng ba bona ba mobu ho latela lekeno la tjhelete kapa mesebetsi e meng ya boiphediso. Ketsahalong eo mobu o neng o fetisetswa kgwebong e itseng hang ha CPA e nka taolo, tlhahiso e ile ya senyeha ho ya pele. Leha ho le jwalo, thuto ena e phethela ka hore di-CPAs jwalo ka setheo sa molao ha se bothata, le hore phephetso e hodima ho tsepamisa maikutlo hodima taolo ya tsamaiso le Molao wa CPA, o behang dipheo tse ding tsa CPA tsa setjhaba (jwalo ka ntshetsopele ya moruo) ho ho se sebetse hantle- ha meaho ya tsamaiso ya CPA. Ho feta moo, thuto e fumane phoso tshebetsong ya ketsahatso ya CPAs, e rerilweng hampe le ho sebetswa ka mokgwa o fokolang, kaha bajalefa ba bangata ba fuwa mobu ka mora ho laelwa ho theha CPA, ntle le tshehetso e hlokahalang – se bakang ho se sebetse hantle ha CPAs ho se na katoloso ya mekgwa ya boiphediso. Thuto ena e phethela ka hore maano a mmuso wa Afrika Borwa mabapi le ntlafatso ya mobu a arohane. Ho bebofatsa diqholotso tsena, thuto e kgothaletsa hore mmuso o lokise leano la CPA le tsamaiso ya projeke ho phethahatsa ka botlalo ho fumana bokgoni ba di-CPA ba ho fihlela phokotso ya bofuma. Sena se lokela ho kenyelletsa leano le akareditseng tsohle le kenyelletsang mabapi le mekgatlo ya molao ya tlhabollo ya mobu, le lokelang ho sebetsana le dikgokahano, kapa ho lemoha botjha ditshebetso tsa ho dula botjha tsa CPA.E tlameha ho hlakisa ditokelo tsa motho ka mong, tsa malapa le tsa sehlopha mapolasing a CPA, le melao ya ho aba melemo le menyetla ya mesebetsi. Leano le jwalo le tlameha hape ho hlalosa mekgwa e kopanetsweng ya moralo wa ntshetsopele ya di-CPA le ho hlakisa karolo ya babusi ba setso. Sebopehong sa tsamaiso ya CPA, ho lokela ho kgethwa Mookameli wa Projeke ya CPA ya nang le boikarabelo bo fapaneng ba botshepehi mme a ikarabelle ho komiti ya tsamaiso ya CPA, e lokelang ho sebetsa e le boto kapa komiti e tsamaisang. Ka tsela ena, di-CPA di ka rarolla mathata a fapaneng a ntshetsopele, ho kenyeletswa phokotso ya bofuma.