Community Empowerment Facility Profile

BACKGROUND

The coastal regions of the Southern Cape are amongst the most beautiful and valuable in the country. The land has enormous potential for sustainable forms of income generation through tourism and small-scale agriculture. Over the years however, this region has been preserved exclusively for ownership and use by wealthy and often foreign investors. Poor communities were, and continue to be, relocated into urban townshipS away from resources and out of site of wealthy developments. Almost the entire coastal region is developed by wealthy investors and very few land parcels still exist for the use of previously disadvantaged, landless local communities.

The land reform programme in the region has not addressed the pattern of spatial apartheid at all. Local authorities and wealthy ratepayers continue to ensure the status quo is maintained. The restitution programme has not transferred any land adjacent to the coast; all coastal settlements have been in the form of cash compensation.

The SCLC - Southern Cape Land Committee is the only non-government organization in the entire region working with landless communities to facilitate access to land and resources as well as the development of sustainable rural settlements with fair and participatory institutional arrangements. SCLC has worked in the region for the past 15 years building capacity and awareness amongst landless people, local authorities and the broader public around the need to address the unequal landholding patterns and access to resources and services.

Top

GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The project objective is to address the present imbalances through poor communities gaining ownership and access to the valuable resources offered by the coastal strip land. The project further aims to facilitate communities being able to manage the land in a sustainable manner leading to economic empowerment and a shift in power relations.

The project is implemented on two levels:

RESTITUTION FORUM: Regionally: through mobilization of claimant communities in the region to ensure their voice is heard:

THE STRATEGY ADOPTED IS:

• Capacity-building of claimant communities through spreading information around the restitution process and the status of particular community claims.
• Lobbying of the local restitution office as well as provincial and national structures to ensure the restitution process fulfils its objectives.
• Networking with other claimant structures to identify common needs and strategies as well as share ideas leading to positive settlements taking place.
• Ensuring media coverage to keep the public and all stakeholders informed around the restitution process.

COVIE CLAIMANTS: Community based : through in-depth intervention with the Covie community, which are claimants seeking restoration of their land rights.

THE STRATEGY ADOPTED IS:

• Capacity building of leadership to ensure a community driven process in an accountable and sustainable manner.
• Lobbying of all stakeholders to push for an acceptable settlement, ensure ongoing support and sustainable institutional arrangements.
• Networking with other claimant communities to share ideas, especially regarding sustainable developments.
• Research into pro-poor tourism opportunities, joint management ventures and alternative building and service provision.

Top

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

At regional level: The restitution forum, developed over the past 15 years, consists of 32 communities throughout the region who form part of the government's restitution programme.

At local level: Restitution community is Covie. Covie community's members, which were previously woodcutters, were removed from the area and relocated to township. The community consists of 130 household who are claiming restoration of their land rights through the South African government's restitution programme.

Top

CONCLUSION

The two interventions should ensure that the lack of access to land and resources along the coastal region of the Southern Cape begins to be addressed. The regional intervention will expose the pattern nationally and exert pressure on all levels of government to begin to address the imbalance.

The community-based intervention will be the first example of a poor rural community accessing this resource in the region and has the potential to result in sustainable economic empowerment. The development of an attractive and sustainable rural settlement should be replicated throughout the region and even nationally.

Top