INSTILLING VALUE-SIGNIFICANCE IN LAND OWNERSHIP IN THE NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The concept of value-significance in landownership has been viewed from only one dimension – the economic dimension. This study focused on the intrinsic dimension, sometimes theoretically called “place attachment” to determine how this component could be infused in land reform support and maintenance programs directed towards beneficiaries of the land redistribution program in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The current state of the post-land redistribution programme is characterized by a plethora of problems that lead to discouraged beneficiaries, unproductive land use and ultimate land degradation. In view of the above, this study sought to answer the question, “How to instill value-significance in land ownership to beneficiaries of the land redistribution program in the Northern Cape Province”.

An interpretivism phenomenological approach has been selected as a method of inquiry, purposively selecting study participants from different cohorts of the land redistribution program between the period 1994 to 2018. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth insights, seeking to describe the lived experiences of the land redistribution program. Aligned with ethical standards, interviews were conducted and recorded on an audio recording device, with the permission of participants. Recorded data were transcribed and analyzed using both thematic analyses benchmarked to the COSTA QDA Technique and the webQDA software.

Findings of the study culminated into four thematic expressions as follows: (1) Land redistribution program needs to be underpinned by a structured maintenance program; (2) Land redistribution program transformed lives of beneficiaries; (3) Beneficiaries of land redistribution program aspire to full ownership of the land for productive use; and (4) A framework for instilling value-significance in land ownership could enhance the maintenance of the land redistribution program. Through a rigorous synthesis of these thematic expressions, a final outcome of this study culminated in the development of the INSTIL Framework for instilling value-significance in land ownership.