Some socio‐economic consequences of villagization schemes in Africa, and the future of ‘betterment villages’ in the ‘new South Africa’

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size

Notes

Department of Anthropology, Rhodes University

I wish to thank Dr Nick Vink, editor of Development Southern Africa for his and his refer‐rees’ useful comments on an earlier version of this paper. I discuss the implementation and consequences of villagiration programmes in various countries in Africa (including South Africa). While I have not directly commented on the overall merit of the ideologies and policies which gave rise to these programmes, I should not however be interpreted as necessarily supporting any of them in my own personal capacity. The financial support of the Chairman's Fund of Anglo‐American and De Beers and of the Prodder Programme of the Human Sciences Research Council is gratefully acknowledged.