Filling the gap: customary land tenure reform in Mozambique and South Africa

Abstract

Using a conceptual framework for guiding cadastral systems development in customary land rights contexts, the drafting and implementation of the 1995 Land Policy and 1997 Land Law in Mozambique from the early 1990s to the present is analysed for its successfulness, sustainability, and significance. The framework looks at the theory underlying development, the drivers of change, the change process, the land administration system, and the review process. Each of these are further broken down into aspects, elements, and indicators. Through grounded theorising, the Mozambique case is compared against the framework to highlight its successes and challenges. This is a desk-top study using secondary data (published literature, reports, policies, and legislation). Recommendations for land tenure reform in South Africa draw on the experiences from Mozambique. The paper has significance for academics, professionals, and policymakers involved in land reform in South Africa and hence has particular relevance in the current South African context.