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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Contested territory: land in southern Africa: the case of Namibia
Author:Melber, HenningISNI
Year:2002
Periodical:Journal - Namibia Scientific Society (ISSN 1018-7677)
Volume:50
Pages:77-85
Language:English
Notes:biblio. refs., ills.
Geographic terms:Namibia
Southern Africa
Subjects:land tenure
land reform
land law
politics
imperialism
apartheid
political history
Abstract:This article explores issues related to land as contested territory in southern Africa and specifically in Namibia within a modern history framework. Southern African societies still bear the traces of their colonial history. Gross inequalities in access to, and possession of land are a reflection of historic injustices committed by the agents and beneficiaries of colonialism. Since liberation movements took over political power towards the end of the twentieth century, the formerly colonized majority expected the new government to implement rapid processes of transformation to address these inherited inequalities. However, the new government was limited by a legal framework guaranteeing European settlers minority rights and maintaining the status quo at ndependence. Furthermore, policymakers themselves used their new position of power to gain access to and acquire land. But even if the new ruling elite had been prepared to implement land restitution, the complexities of the issue did not allow for simple solutions. Moreover, from a macroeconomic point of view, the present pattern of commerically-driven land utilization (market production through large farming units) makes sense in terms of its degree of productivity. A pragmatic approach, however, would ignore the sociocultural aspects of the land issue. The challenge remains how to formulate an acceptable comprise under the given circumstances. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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