Measures to address challenges of communal property associations in South Africa: the case of Elandskloof, Western Cape province

Abstract

Communal property associations (CPAs) were introduced in South Africa to provide a governance system that affords communal settlements functional and sustainable land governance. However, CPAs are characterised by numerous land governance challenges. For instance, the lack of institutional capacity within communities results in political decay, consequently jeopardising the sustainability of governance structures. Through the study area of Elandskloof in the Western Cape province, the article analyses the resilience of a communal settlement during its transition to a CPA. The aim is to identify measures to address the problems encountered during the transition process. The study is based on a qualitative design to gather the community members’ experiences, perceptions, and behaviours relating to the transition to a CPA. The data-collection approach includes in-depth interviews, observations at a community meeting, and intercept interviews of residents. The data are thematically analysed based on three main themes (psychological, sociological, and philosophical) to show how each aspect influenced the transition to a CPA. The findings indicate that adopting an adaptive or transitional governance approach combined with fit-for-purpose land administration would offer a structured way of managing the social and organisational changes needed to implement effective and sustainable land administration reforms.