Land, Liberation and Compromise in Southern Africa

03/12/2009 - Article

The book Land, Liberation and Compromise in Southern Africa , published by Palgrave-Macmillan, offers an analysis of the volatility of contemporary land ownership policy in southern Africa. The authors look at the key factors that determine the involvement of neo-imperialist states in agrarian reform following independence.

The book presents the persistent contradictions in such neo-imperialist states between the huge societal expectations of freedom movements on the one hand, and the constitutional, structural and ideological constraints that keep them tied to the past on the other. It serves to feed the current debate on land policy dynamics and their implications for stability and democracy in southern Africa.

The link between the structured political economies of "ongoing" colonialism on the one hand and the role of liberation policies on the other is essential to an understanding of how and why the crisis in Zimbabwe has had such a strong influence on regional policy. The same goes for the persistent consequences of the switch to democracy and neo-liberalism in southern Africa.

Furthermore, while these factors shape regional land issues, they also affect the perceptions of and opinions expressed by the elite, various social groups and the population as a whole. Those perceptions and opinions, which are implicit in the neo-liberal policies implemented since independence, but also strongly influenced by the colonial era and the fight for freedom, underlie the controversies and questions surrounding the current regimes in the region.

Land, Liberation and Compromise in Southern Africa
Chris Alden, Ward Anseeuw
Publ. Palgrave Macmillan
2009