Municipal commonage as a form of land redistribution: A case study of the new farms of Leliefontein, a communal reserve in Namaqualand, South Africa

Abstract

This paper examines the
\nimplementation of a quasi-commercial
\nland use system on newly acquired
\nmunicipal commonage in Leliefontein, a
\nformer ‘coloured reserve’ in Namaqualand,
\nNorthern Cape. This land has been acquired
\nostensibly for use by all of the reserve’s
\nresidents. A Commonage Committee made
\nup of community members and state
\nrepresentatives has been set up to manage
\nthis land on behalf of the municipality. After
\ndescribing the management framework that
\nhas been put in place, this paper investigates
\nhow the implementation of this framework is
\nactually unfolding on the ground. This
\ninvestigation is based on fieldwork
\nundertaken in Leliefontein over the course of
\n2003 and the first half of 2004.