Design for equity: linking policy with objectives in South Africa's land reform

Abstract

The question posed in this article is why do land reform policies aiming at equity regularly result in inequitable outcomes?The question is examined in relation to the new land reform policy in South Africa (DLA, 1997), and with emphasis on the commitment to gender equity contained in this policy. Four points are made. First, planning for development needs to be realistic about the context of social relations within which the programme will take place. Second, policy objectives and criteria should not be contradictory. Third, equity considerations need to permeate all aspects of policy and not be limited to statements of vision and objectives. Fourth, the resource implications of policy should fit within existing resource constraints. These are some of the points of slippage which may result in the sacrifice of equity objectives in practice. The challenge at the level of policy is to anticipate and counteract the likely maldistribution of the benefits of land reform.