Exploring the impacts of land tenure system change on the sustainability of common resources in Swaziland

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Current customary tenure has negative implications for the sustainable environmental management of common resources in Swaziland in that it perpetuates free-for-all scenarios that result in unabated environmental degradation by all and with none held responsible. The lack of a land policy to provide a framework for land use regulation is a significant driver of common resource destruction, as is the inability of customary tenure to evolve with the times. The cleavage between customary and statutory tenure has led to informal land markets which, if uncontrolled, could wreck not only the environment but the integrity of the traditional Swazi community. The study calls for inclusive politics which would encourage democratised public participation. After all, it is only after this fact that relevant and acceptable environmental policy can be synthesised. It also calls for the regulation of customary tenure and suggests that there is advantage in mono-ethnicity that can be exploited in trying to chart a more sustainable and morally fair management of common resources in the country.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Huidige tradisionele grondbesit het negatiewe implikasies vir die volhoubare omgewingsbestuur van gemeenskaplike hulpbronne in Swaziland omdat dit scenario‟s vestig waar almal volgens eie voorkeur optree. Dit kan tot knaende omgewingsaftakeling deur almal lei sonder dat iemand daarvoor verantwoordelik gehou word. Die gebrek aan ‟n grondbeleid wat as raamwerk vir die regulering van grondgebruik kan dien, en die onvermoë van tradisionele grondbesit om oor tyd te ontwikkel is belangrike dryfvere vir die vernietiging van gemeenskaplike hulpbronne. Die gaping tussen tradisionele en statutêre grondbesit het informele grondmarkte laat ontstaan wat tot die ondergang van nie net die omgewing nie, maar die integriteit van die tradisionele Swazi-gemeenskap kan lei as dit nie beheer word nie. Die studie bepleit inklusiewe politiek wat gedemokratiseerde openbare deelname sal aanmoedig. Dit is per slot van sake net hiervolgens wat ‟n relevante en aanvaarbare omgewingsbeleid daargestel kan word. Die studie pleit ook vir die regulering van tradisionele grondbesit en suggereer dat die ontginning van mono-etnisiteit voordelig kan wees om ‟n meer volhoubare en moreel regverdige bestuur van gemeenskaplike hulpbronne in die land te verkry