Philosophical Perspectives on Land Reform in Southern Africa

This edited collection explores a variety of philosophical perspectives on land reform in Southern Africa. Presenting an innovative focus on the philosophical themes in land reform, the contributors reflect on traditional African conceptualisations of the land, as well as Western interpretations, introducing specifically Southern African approaches to a wide range of debates. Rooted in questions of colonization and decolonization, the chapters examine what reform ought to do for the people of Africa, providing contemporary reflections on the different racial and cultural facets of the land. Notably, ideas of reconciliation, compensation, justice, development, emancipation, Ubuntu, and empowerment are explored. Vigorous and interdisciplinary in their approach, the fifteen original chapters tackle a range of questions such as: What does land mean in Africa? What ethical considerations are relevant? Which mechanisms should be used in addressing injustice regarding land reform and redistribution? Providing a comprehensive engagement with philosophical and political issues of land reform in Southern Africa, this volume is an invaluable resource to scholars, not only in Africa, but wherever similar questions of land, dispossession, and justice arise. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Thinking about Land Reform in Southern Africa: The Introduction (Erasmus Masitera)....Pages 1-15 Front Matter ....Pages 17-17 Exploring Foundational Principles for Land Redistribution and Management in Africa (Aderonke E. Adegbite)....Pages 19-38 Political Economy and the Socio-cultural History of Land Dispossession, Proselytization, and Proletarianization of African People in South Africa: 1488–1770 (Part 1) (Mbhekeni Sabelo Nkosi)....Pages 39-59 Political Economy and the Socio-cultural History of Land Dispossession, Proselytization, and Proletarianization of African People in South Africa: 1795–1854 (Part 2) (Mbhekeni Sabelo Nkosi)....Pages 61-81 Ivhu Kuvanhu/Umhlabathi Ebantwini: The ‘Violent’ Ubuntu in the Fast Track Land Reform Programme in Zimbabwe (Joseph Pardon Hungwe)....Pages 83-102 A Logical Evaluation of the Fast Track Land Reform Economic Argument in Zimbabwe (Ephraim Taurai Gwaravanda)....Pages 103-117 Front Matter ....Pages 119-119 We Acknowledge that We Reside On...: Canadian Land Acknowledgments and South African Land Reform (Yolandi M. Coetser)....Pages 121-143 Must Land Reform Benefit the Victims of Colonialism? (Thaddeus Metz)....Pages 145-160 Reconciling “Title to Land and Productivity” in Land Debates in Africa (Dennis Masaka)....Pages 161-181 Is Land Reform the Last Step Towards Africans’ Total Emancipation and True Empowerment? (Bernard Matolino)....Pages 183-200 Front Matter ....Pages 201-201 Integrating African Social Tenures through Rights Recognition in Land Reform (Christopher Allsobrook)....Pages 203-224 Land Reform and Redistribution as Environmental Justice Frameworks for Post-colonial Africa (Munamato Chemhuru)....Pages 225-240 Individual Justice in Land Redistribution: Appropriating Some Ideas from the Capability Approach (Erasmus Masitera)....Pages 241-264 Front Matter ....Pages 265-265 Towards a Critical Ethic of Land in the Southern African Context (Mark Rathbone, Anné Hendrik Verhoef)....Pages 267-284 What Can Ubuntu Do? A Reflection on African Moral Theory in Light of Post-colonial Challenges (Motsamai Molefe, Nolubabalo Lulu Magam)....Pages 285-307 Appraising Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Programme in the Context of Unhu/Ubuntu: Towards an Appropriate Ethical-Moral Ideology on Land Distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa (Rodwell Kumbirai Wuta)....Pages 309-334 Back Matter ....Pages 335-341