Management and regulation of rural land use : a model for traditional land tenure systems in KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

South Africa is confronted by a number ofproblems which include: a high and rapidly increasing population, conditions of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, unemployment, and a degrade9 environment. These problems are associated with inappropriate land use and development and the unwise utilization of natural resources. This work investigates the rural land use dynamic within KwaZulu-Natal and specifically where many of these conditions are most evident, namely: within traditional land tenure areas. The need for an effective, transparent, measurement-based and environmentally linked land use management and regulation system is investigated and a theoretical model is developed with sustainable development as the central focus. The proposed methodology modifies South African approaches to land use management and regulation and draws on the rationale employed within intemationalland use management and state ofthe environment research. The model has the following aims: to strive towards the collective achievement of sustainability as the underlying goal within the planning and plan implementation process; to develop the capability of measuring the extent to which planning policies, goals and programmes are achieved; to guide their review and reformulation; to encourage the inclusion and integration of the policies and programmes of all public and private agencies; and thereby to strengthen the link between land use planning and land use management. The implementation of this model entails an iterative process of performance indicator identification, selection, application and evaluation with full stakeholder participation. The findings suggest that: the sensitive and gradual application of this system is likely to guide land use towards sustainability, initially by non-statutory means. Later, as stakeholder knowledge and understanding increases, this system has the potential to fulfil a valuable statutory function. It is proposed that the practical application of this theoretical approach will facilitate the accurate evaluation and review of policy, plans and programmes during implementation, which will enhance the management and regulation of rural land use towards sustainability within the context of the social, economic and biophysical environment.