專題報告 - The observation of rural development in South Africa

台大國企系3年級李宗賢

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to share the observation during the research program of ACTION (Act in Cape Town international Observation and Network), which is a student group eyeing on studying the development of South Africa, focuses on the social mobility after 1994, the end of apartheid, under the context of education and employment. This paper also eyes on initiating more researches in South Africa and international development.

Introduction

The content are categorized by topics focus on the socio-economic development in and the challenges of rural development observed in South Africa Africa.

Apartheid and post-apartheid

Apartheid exists geographically, politically, socially, economically and legally, exists in every different level. Black people are socially excluded with the “Dom pass”, economic activities are restricted, and parties are banned.

After 1994, the post-apartheid South Africa, social equality are concerned and justice and reconciliation starts after 1994. BEE is enacted after 2001 to resolve the economic disparity between black and white. The black are credited with certain percentage of presence in economic activities but it is concerned only politically connected black elites would benefit from the act. A new disparity would occur between rich black and poor black. BBEEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) is enacted in 2003/04 to ensure the economic opportunities are more evenly distributed to the people.

However, challenges are everywhere. It is criticized there is a reverse prejudice to the white. For example, for medical school, if the black enter school with 60 scores, the color needs 70 and the white needs 90. The white student has higher limitation to school causes brain drains.

The BEE certificates the black to have certain share on corporate share and employment rate but the black are concerned financial distrust and lower working efficiency. The different mindsets of people are forced to work together.

However, apartheid itself has incorporated in South African History, the road of justice and reconciliation is difficult but a must-needed process for South Africa to become a well-rounded nation. The way of handling the difficulties is one of the important researches in the contemporary world.

Rural Development

There is a disparity between rural and urban areas, and there are traps of rural development to form a new disparity between rich and poor of no matter the black or the white after 1994.

Education is the first topic to be considered, rural area has less schools, teachers, sanitation and resources. There is a hierarchy for the education. The tuition in rural area is 100 compare to 1000 for municipal schools and 10000 to prestigious universities such as University of Cape Town. The facilities and professors distinguish people from different hierarchy and sectors. Students are concerned to be socially excluded by economic status but also the languages of the education. University of Stallenbosch is lectured mostly in Afrikaans, which is descended from Dutch. UWC is recognized as a black school. The quality of the teachers has limited progress owing to brain drain and the teacher union. The poor education leads to poor labor skill and low employment rate. Social crimes occur under shadow of poor legal execution in poor area.

Besides, AIDS/HIV are challenging the rural area, South Africans has 49.3 on life expectancy while it drops roughly to 30 in rural areas. They don’t have property ownership because BEE only benefits political and socially connected elites. Land reforms are concerned to empower the poor. We do see the rural development program (RDP) in Khayelitsha area in Cape Town. New house and bathroom are constructed in poor area but they are still geographically excluded from the white and economically segregated from the profitable economic supply chain.

The forces for the rural development including international aid agencies such as USAID, SIDA, JICA, AUSAID, DFID, WB etc… and local community, local NGOs, social enterprises and government. We do not see to much enterprises coordinate project in rural areas. The Shawco itself is a social enterprise help women direct to the markets to maintain high profit, and at the same time recruits students from UCT to be free teachers and provide poor students free education and health services. It’s a successful model of NGO and social enterprises in Cape Town. It is more encouraged to have projects for rural development in South Africa here, the enterprises should distribute 1% profit to non-profit sectors. But the law of non-profit sectors and social enterprises are needed to be defined and create more social benefit to the rural areas.

Conclusion

The apartheid is still facing challenges politically, economically, socially, geographically, culturally and legally. There are traps of rural development such as education, employment, AIDS/HIV, land and property right, sanitations. There is a transformation of disparity from the white and the black to the rich and poor among the white or the black. It should be concerned at all level and the cooperation between people, NGOs, private sectors and governments should be more connected.