...Africa's spaces, particularly those set aside for the majority African population. This was evident in the bantustans, or homelands, which were geographic territories utilized to segregate the population by the national government. Through an elaborate system of racial classification, the bantustans became pivotal to grand apartheid's vision of separate development and, as such, had significant impacts upon social and ecological landscapes. Although the bantustan system was abolished prior to the democratic transition, sizable body of academic scholarship has asserted that this geography has left a lasting imprint upon rural areas (Levin and Weiner 1997; Weiner et al. 1997; Ramutsindela and Simon 1999; Ntsebeza 2000; Ramutsindela 2001; Ramutsindela and Donaldson 2001). Levin and Weiner (1997, 6) represented this view shortly after the democratic elections by provocatively asserting: 'South Africa's former homelands--four "independent states" and six "self-governing territories"--have now been officially reincorporated, but they continue to exist de facto. For most people living in these grand apartheid territories, political freedom has not changed their dire economic circumstances. They remain bantustans'. Similarly, Ramutsindela (2001, 180) argued that the bantustans 'had tremendous impact upon identity constructions, the socialization of people into space and the persistence of traditional authorities. All these have a direct bearing on the transformation to a non-racial and democratic South Africa'.

The intention of this special edition is to present case studies from the former South African bantustans to examine how these geographies remain relevant in the contemporary era. Although it is increasingly common to assert the importance of the legacy of the bantustans to current issues, ranging from land reform, rural development, agrarian change and environmental degradation, the specific links between these processes and spaces have been under explored. The contributors to this volume work to address this oversight by presenting detailed research from the former bantustans of Lebowa, Gazankulu and KaNgwane to understand the trajectories of social and environmental change that accompanied the democratic transition. The papers in this special issue cover a diverse set of conceptual questions and methodological approaches; however, they share a commitment to examining livelihood systems, development processes, and environmental change within these territories. While it is readily apparent that the geography of the bantustans remains persistent, it is also clear from these papers that there are political, economic and spatial transformations occurring that have implications for the future of rural change and development. This special issue contributes to understanding these changes by assessing how new opportunities and systems are shaping and reshaping environmental and development processes in the post-apartheid era.

Segregation and development in colonial and apartheid South Africa

The utilization of space by the apartheid state (1948-94) to segregate and control the African population was deeply rooted in South Africa's colonial period (1652-1948). Specifically, a series of legislative acts enforced racial segregation while empowering traditional authorities in ways that directly impacted livelihood systems and rural development. One example of this was the 1894 Glen Grey Act. This legislation moved land ownership within the Glen Grey magisterial district in the Cape from a communal to an individual tenure system while placing the chieftaincy at the centre of land allocation. This became a model for future land reallocation schemes by reinforcing colonial perceptions about individual property rights while vesting power for its distribution with the tribal authority (Ntsebeza 2000). The use of traditional authorities coincided with efforts by the colonial system to segregate the population through the use of the native reserves that were created by the Natives Land Act of 1913 and the Natives Trust and Land Act of 1936. The native reserves laid the groundwork for political and economic segregation during apartheid by establishing territories for the African population, while...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.

Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.

About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.

Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.