Northern Cape
State of the Environment Report 2004
Land Specialist Report
Northern Cape
State of the Environment Report 2004
Land Specialist Report
Final Version
Prepared for:
Department of Tourism, Environment &
Conservation
Private Bag X6102
Kimberley
8300
Project Manager: Abe Abrahams
January 2005
Prepared by:
Shamini Naidu and Linda Arendse
CSIR Environmentek
P O Box 17001
Congella
4013
This report forms part of a series of specialist reports produced for the 2004
Northern Cape State of the Environment Report.
Cover Picture courtesy of Northern Cape Tourism Authority.
The production of this report was made possible with a generous donation
from the National Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism through the
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
Table of Contents
1
Background ....................................................................................................... 1
2
Introduction to Land ......................................................................................... 2
3
Land Issues in the Northern Cape ..................................................................... 3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
4
Land in the Northern Cape ................................................................................ 4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
5
Land Degradation ........................................................................................... 3
Desertification ................................................................................................ 3
Land Use ....................................................................................................... 3
Land Ownership ............................................................................................. 4
Land cover ..................................................................................................... 4
Land degradation ........................................................................................... 7
Soil Salinisation ............................................................................................ 13
Desertification .............................................................................................. 15
Land Restitution ........................................................................................... 17
Responses ........................................................................................................ 18
5.1
5.2
5.3
International responses ................................................................................ 18
5.1.1 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification ............................ 18
5.1.2 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity ................................. 18
5.1.3 United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora ...................................................................... 18
National responses ....................................................................................... 19
5.2.1 National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) .................. 19
5.2.2 Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (Act 43 of 1983) .................. 19
5.2.3 National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Bill ........................... 19
5.2.4 National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Act 57 of
2003) ................................................................................................. 19
5.2.5 National Forests Act (Act 84 of 1998) ................................................... 20
5.2.6 Restitution of Land Rights Act (Act 22 0f 1994) .................................... 20
Provincial responses ..................................................................................... 20
5.3.1 Land Care South Africa ....................................................................... 20
6
Summary of Land ............................................................................................ 21
7
References ....................................................................................................... 22
8
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................... 24
2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
1
BACKGROUND
The Northern Cape Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation (DTEC) (formerly
the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, Environment and Conservation (DALEC))
appointed CSIR to compile the 2004 Northern Cape State of the Environment (SoE) Report.
The project process was divided into three phases, namely:



Phase 1: Issues identification;
Phase 2: Selection of Key Environmental Indicators; and
Phase 3: Compilation of the 2004 SoE Report.
During this process, both specialists and stakeholders were given the opportunity to
contribute to the project. Phase 1 entailed the selection of key environmental issues,
described as topics of strategic concern that will influence the environmental sustainability of
the Province. A literature review of relevant and available information sources on
environment was used to create a preliminary list of key environmental issues, which was
reviewed at a stakeholder workshop convened in Kimberley on 9 December 2003. The
broad key environmental issues were prioritised and related issues were highlighted, forming
the final list of key environmental issues that was sent out for stakeholder comment.
The broad key environmental issues identified in Phase 1 were then used as the basis for
the development of a set of key environmental indicators in Phase 2. Specialist input was
used to develop a proposed set of indicators. These environmental indicators, like the
environmental issues, were grouped into broader categories, called ‘themes’. Although not
every environmental issue listed has an indicator associated with it, the indicators selected
for a theme provide the general understanding of the particular theme and allow the reader
to gain insight into environmental trends within that theme.
The draft set of key environmental indicators from Phase 2 was presented at a stakeholder
workshop in Kimberley on 19 January 2004. During the workshop, stakeholders were given
the task of reviewing and finalising the indicators for either one or two themes. A handout
of questions regarding the relevance and practicality of each indicator was used to guide the
group discussions. Comments and suggestions as well as details of additional data sources
were captured in answer sheets by a member of each group, and shared in the feedback
session that followed. The finalised set of key environmental indicators was sent out for
stakeholder comment.
Phase 3 of the project involved the compilation of the SoER, where each of the themes was
investigated through a separate specialist study. Specialists were involved in compiling the
draft studies, which were then subjected to a review. During this phase the specialists
made use of the environmental indicators in their theme to generate an understanding of
the complex interactions occurring in the Northern Cape environment. These individual
specialist reports will be used to compile the popular and web versions of the 2004 Northern
Cape SoER. This document provides the results of one of these specialist studies. It
represents only one of a series of seven specialist reports produced for this project.
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2
INTRODUCTION TO LAND
The Northern Cape Province forms part of the former Cape Province and includes a number
of communal areas previously known as Coloured reserves (Hoffman et al, 1999). While it is
the largest province in South Africa, it is also the most sparsely populated. The Northern
Cape is characterised by very hot summers and very cold winters (South Africa, 2003). Its
arid nature has resulted in activities such as stock and game farming being more widespread than crop farming. Mining is also an important activity and the Province is the
diamond centre of South Africa, with Kimberley as its capital.
A large portion of the Orange River catchment area falls within the Northern Cape, which
provides for a healthy agricultural industry. The area is noted for its vineyards whilst the
predominant land use is stock and game farming (Hoffman et al, 1999). However, mining is
the prime income generator. In 1888, the diamond industry was formally created with the
establishment of De Beers Consolidated Mines. Diamonds are also extracted from the
beaches and coastal areas (South Africa, 2003). The food and processing industry is slowly
growing in the Northern Cape for local and export markets (South Africa, 2003).
The Province has several national parks and conservation areas including the Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park South Africa together with the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana is
Africa’s first transfrontier game park, known as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South
African Consulate General, 2003). The last remaining San (Bushman) people live in the
Kalahari area of the Northern Cape. The area along the Orange and Vaal rivers, are rich in
San rock engravings (South Africa Government online, 2003).
The landscape is characterised by vast arid plains with haphazard rocky outcrops. The
western coastal region, which receives small amounts of winter rain, is dominated by
succulent shrubs. The interior of the Province has a mixture of low shrubs and grasses
(Hoffman et al, 1999). Wind and sheet erosion is extensive with salinisation (build-up of salt
within the soil) affecting the majority of the Province (Hoffman et al, 1999). Soil salinisation,
which is usually a problem in arid areas, often results from irrigated agriculture. Water used
for irrigation contains trace amounts of salt, and when water evaporates from the soil
surface or from the leaves of plants, it leaves the salt behind. Salinisation can also occur in
the absence of irrigation where there is a naturally high salt content in the soil, which is
characteristic of the Northern Cape. Bush encroachment and changes in species composition
are the most serious problems affecting the land (Hoffman & Ashwell, 2001). Alien plant
invasions are also severe in many parts of the Northern Cape. An example is Prosopsis
species which consumes more than 200 million m3 of water per year (Hoffman et al, 1999).
These species are considerably reducing the amount of groundwater available for farmers
and rural communities.
This specialist report provides a review of the state of land in the Northern Cape and is
based on actual and modelled data obtained for the Province.
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3
LAND ISSUES IN THE NORTHERN CAPE
3.1 Land Degradation
Land degradation results in a significant reduction in the productive capacity of the land.
Human activities such as agricultural mismanagement, overgrazing, fuelwood consumption,
industry and urbanisation, as well as natural disasters, could all contribute to land
degradation (UNEP, 2002). Land degradation is defined by Hoffman & Ashwell, (2001) as
the loss of biological or economic productivity of an area primarily caused by human
activities. The Northern Cape is predominantly arid and thus, only 2% of the land is used for
crop farming. When crop farming is undertaken, proper irrigation systems are required to
ensure healthy growth of the crop (Hoffman et al, 1999). The majority of the Province is
used for stock farming including cattle, sheep or goat farming and mining whilst only 3.98%
is reserved for conservation (Hoffman et al, 1999). Overgrazing is therefore one of the main
causes of land degradation in the Northern Cape (DEAT, 2002). Mining has had serious
negative environmental consequences in cases where it has been conducted without due
recognition of the need to mitigate negative impacts (Northern Cape Provincial Government,
2002a).
Alien plant invasions are posing a threat to the rich flora of the region (DEAT, 2002). The
Northern Cape is also one of the worst affected areas in terms of bush encroachment which
implies that large areas of grazing land are lost, species diversity is reduced and habitats are
transformed (DEAT, 2002). These land use activities all contribute to a loss of vegetation
cover, soil erosion and ultimately land degradation. Land degradation is thus, an important
issue to rural communities and farmers that depend on the land for their livelihood.
3.2 Desertification
Desertification refers to land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas
resulting from various factors such as climatic variation and human activities (UNCCD,
2003). Land degradation includes bush encroachment, loss of vegetation cover as well as
change in species composition (GEM, 2002). In some cases, desertification follows localised
overgrazing which leads to a loss of vegetation cover. The continuation of these poor land
management practices causes degraded land to coalesce and become desertified (Hoffman
& Ashwell, 2001). In South Africa the main desertification problems lie across large parts of
the Northern Cape. This is due to the dry and arid characteristics of the Northern Cape. It
should also be acknowledged that desertification is strongly linked to poverty and food
security as a result of the social and economic importance of natural resources and
agriculture to people living in poverty (UNCCD, 2003). This is especially true of the Northern
Cape since the majority of the people live below the poverty line and have no choice but to
overexploit the land (Hoffman et al, 1999).
3.3 Land Use
Different land uses have varying effects on the ecological functioning of the land. It is
therefore necessary to understand the different land use activities in order to effectively
combat soil erosion, overgrazing, loss of vegetation cover and desertification. The
predominant land use activities within the Northern Cape are mining and sheep, goat, cattle
and game farming. Mining is slowly decreasing in the Province and retrenched workers often
3
2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
purchase livestock to earn a living thus ultimately contributing to increased land degradation
(Hoffman et al, 1999). Crop farming accounts for 2% only of the land used (Hoffman et al,
1999). This is primarily due to the climatic conditions experienced in the Province.
In the past mining caused considerable conflict in the Northern Cape. The controversy
began because of the granting of permits to small mining enterprises on Canteen Koppie
(SAEP, 2003). In addition, diamond mining has been the root of many problems, including
diamond smuggling activities (Third Word Traveller, 2004).
3.4 Land Ownership
The land reform process is currently in progress in the Northern Cape and consists of land
restitution, redistribution and tenure reform. Land restitution involves returning land which
was lost due to racially discriminatory laws. Land restitution can also be achieved through
monetary compensation (DLA, 2003). Land redistribution enables disadvantaged people to
buy land, while land tenure reform aims to bring all people occupying land under one
system of landholding (DLA, 2003). There are a number of issues relating to land tenure and
access to land which pose a major obstacle to the development and management of land.
Almost all the land in the Northern Cape is privately owned (DWAF, 2004). In the past, state
agricultural land has been made available to emerging commercial farmers, in the form of
leasing, outright sale and access to grazing land (Northern Cape Provincial Government,
2002b). By the end of 2003, the Northern Cape had processed 2 606 land claims out of
2 773 (International Marketing Council, 2003). In 2002, the Northern Cape Government
successfully settled a land claim with the San and Mier communities. The land was situated
in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and 25 000 hectares of land was handed over to the San
and Mier communities (Northern Cape Provincial Government, 2002b). The San and Mier
communities entered into a contractual arrangement with the park authorities to manage
the land on behalf of the San and Mier people (Northern Cape Provincial Government,
2002b). The Northern Cape recently launched the Land Redistribution for Agricultural
Development (LRAD) programme which is designed to reduce rural poverty (Northern Cape
Provincial Government, 2001). The LRAD programme targets previously disadvantaged
people in rural areas to improve their standard of living by enabling them to manage their
own farms effectively.
4
LAND IN THE NORTHERN CAPE
4.1 Land cover
Land use is an important factor contributing to the condition of the land since land use
impacts on land cover, which in turn affects the condition of the land. Different uses have
varying effects on the integrity of the land. The land cover indicator is a state indicator that
provides information on the current state of land cover in the Province (Thompson, 1999). It
has been derived by the CSIR for the National Land Cover Database and is differentiated
into a number of categories. The data are given a high confidence rating as it is based on
satellite imagery which is then verified in the field by evaluating a series of grid-point
locations in terms of the actual and classified land-cover types. Table 1 depicts the area (ha)
and percentage area (%) for each land cover type, while Figure 1 illustrates the different
land cover types in the Northern Cape (Thompson, 1999).
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
Table 1: Land cover types for the Northern Cape (Thompson, 1999)
Land cover description
Barren rock
Cultivated: permanent-commercial dryland
Cultivated: permanent-commercial irrigated
Cultivated: temporary-commercial dryland
Cultivated: temporary-commercial irrigated
Degraded: shrubland & low Fynbos
Degraded: thicket & bushland
Degraded: unimproved grassland
Dongas & sheet erosion
Forest
Forest & Woodland
Forest Plantations
Herbland
Improved grassland
Mines & Quarries
Shrubland & Low Fynbos
Thicket & bushland
Unimproved grassland
Urban/built-up land: commercial
Urban/built-up land: industrial/transport
Urban/built-up land: residential
Urban/built-up: residential (small holdings: bushland)
Urban/built-up land: residential (small holdings: shrubland)
Waterbodies
Wetlands
Unclassified
Total
Area (ha)
%
157469.4
0.4
638.9
0
34760.4
0.1
100545
0.3
130184
0.4
75560
0.2
43379.9
0.1
136022.2
0.4
63812.2
0.2
139.9
0
99939.1
0.3
2474.3
0
242872.3
0.7
2372.8
0
28735.5
0.1
25253446.2
69.7
5153920.2
14.2
4335807.3
12
1108
0
3936.4
0
21706.7
0.1
1118.9
0
0
0
57724.9
0.2
294934.8
0.8
10.3
0
36243188
100
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
Figure 1: Land cover types for the Northern Cape (Thompson, 1999)
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
Most of the Province is dominated by vast open areas of natural vegetation (69.7% of the
total area is covered by shrublands and low fynbos). These areas are characterised by low,
woody, self supporting, multi-stemmed plants that branch at or near the ground and are
usually between 0.2 and 2 m in height. Typical examples of this type of vegetation include
low Fynbos, Karoo and Lesotho (alpine) plant communities (Mudau, pers comm., 2003).
A further 14.2% of the Northern Cape is dominated by thicket vegetation and bushlands.
This type of cover can be described as tall, woody, self-supporting, single or multi-stemmed
plants (branching at or near the ground), that have no clearly definable structure. The plant
communities are essentially indigenous species, growing under natural or semi-natural
conditions. Self-seeded exotic species along riparian zones may also be included in this
category (Mudau, pers comm., 2003).
A total of 0.7% of the Province is classified as degraded whilst 0.2% is dongas and sheet
erosion areas. In addition, 12% of the land cover in the Province is unimproved grasslands
characterised by less than 10% tree and/or shrub canopy cover, with greater than 0.1% of
total vegetation cover. The plant communities are largely indigenous species growing under
natural or semi-natural conditions which are dominated by grass-like, non-woody, rooted
herbaceous plants (Mudau, pers comm., 2003).
Urbanisation in the Province is relatively low (0.1%). However, it should be noted that these
figures are based on the 1994/5 National Land Cover Database and may change in the new
land cover map currently being developed by the CSIR. The New National Land Cover
Database has been designed to accommodate the needs of a wide variety of potential users
and it also conforms, as far as possible, to the land-cover classification standards proposed
for the international AFRICOVER project of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
4.2 Land degradation
Land degradation is defined as “reduction or loss, in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid
areas, of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rainfed cropland,
irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest and woodlands. This results from land uses, or
from a combination of processes arising from human activities, and habitation patterns”
(UNCCD, 1995 in Hoffman & Ashwell, 2001). The land degradation indicator is based on
three indices that were developed in an effort to resolve South Africa’s problems of land
degradation (Hoffman et al, 1999). The indices form part of a NAP for South Africa and
include:



The combined degradation index (CDI);
The soil degradation index (SDI); and
The vegetation degradation index (VDI).
The study was undertaken by the National Botanical Institute (NBI) as the first step in the
formulation of the NAP. The NAP is a requirement of South Africa’s ratification of the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD, 2003). A total of 367 magisterial
districts were evaluated and an SDI and VDI for South Africa were developed. The SDI and
VDI together form the CDI (Hoffman et al, 1999). The first component of the NBI study
comprised an assessment of soil degradation in the magisterial districts. Soil degradation
was divided into erosive forms such as water and wind erosion, and non-erosive forms such
as acidification and salinisation (Hoffman et al, 1999).
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
The second component concerned veld degradation and six main types of veld degradation
were identified including:






Loss of cover;
Change in species composition;
Bush encroachment;
Alien plant invasions;
Deforestation; and
A general category of “Other”.
The land degradation indicator will therefore measure the percentage of each magisterial
district of the Northern Cape that falls into the different land degradation classes as defined
by Hoffman et al (1999). It is an impact indicator and confidence in the data was given a
high rating. However, the NBI study was conducted in 1999 and the extent/status of land
degradation in the Northern Cape could since have changed. Table 2 and Figure 2 illustrate
the degraded areas in the Northern Cape using the combined degradation index. Figure 3
and 4 present the VDI and the SDI respectively (Hoffman et al, 1999).
Table 2: Percentage of the Northern Cape land area in each degradation category
(CDI) (Hoffman et al, 1999)
Categories of Degradation
Insignificant
Light
Moderate
Extreme
Value Range % Area
< 72
24.2
72-277
21.2
277-482
30.3
> 482
24.2
As is evident from Table 2 and Figure 2, the overall measure of land degradation in the
Province is “insignificant” to “light”. Approximately 30% is moderately degraded whilst less
than half of the Province is categorised by “light” degradation. Only 24.2% of the Province is
“extremely” degraded. Results from the NBI investigation concluded that the Northern Cape
is one of the least degraded provinces in South Africa (Hoffman et al, 1999).
However, veld degradation was found to be serious, since the Province has one of the third
highest provincial veld degradation indices in South Africa. It was found that change in
species composition and bush encroachment1 were the most common problems (Hoffman et
al, 1999). Gordonia and Fraserburg had the highest veld degradation index values (Figure
3). It should be noted that veld degradation has decreased to an extent in the Province due
to an increase in good management practices, government sponsored schemes and bush
clearing (Hoffman et al, 1999). Agricultural extension services, farmer study groups, drought
subsidies and strict application of agricultural legislation have also assisted in reducing
degradation in the Northern Cape (Hoffman et al, 1999). However, issues still to be resolved
according to Hoffman et al (1999), include insufficient access to land, poor infrastructure,
and lack of education, finance and government support.
Soil degradation on the other hand was not perceived to be a serious problem; Prieska and
Britstown were found to have the highest provincial indices of soil degradation (Figure 4).
These areas are predominantly characterised by wind and sheet erosion and salinisation
(Hoffman et al, 1999).
1
Bush encroachment refers to the transformation of a grass-dominated vegetation type into a woody
species-dominated type.
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
Overall, land degradation is not a serious problem in the Northern Cape but, there are eight
areas within the Province that require priority attention. These areas are commercial farming
areas and are as follows (Hoffman et al, 1999):








Britstown;
Gordonia;
Prieska;
Carnarvon;
Hay;
Williston;
Fraserburg; and
Hopetown.
This is fairly significant, when considering the potential for desertification as farmlands are
most at risk for desertification (Hoffman & Ashwell, 2001). It should also be noted that the
degraded areas in Figure 2 closely correlate with the degraded areas presented on the land
cover map (Figure 1).
9
Figure 2: Map depicting land degradation in the Northern Cape based on the combined soil degradation and veld degradation
indices (Hoffman et al, 1999)
10
Figure 3: Map depicting veld degradation in the Northern Cape (Hoffman et al, 1999)
11
Figure 4: Map depicting soil degradation in the Northern Cape (Hoffman et al, 1999)
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4.3 Soil Salinisation
Soil salinisation is a problem in the Northern Cape, particularly in areas where irrigated
agriculture is practised. This state indicator shows the extent of salt affected soils in the
Province. In areas where rainfall is approximately five to ten times less than the potential
evaporation, salts derived from rock weathering, bio-cycling, evaporation and atmospheric
deposition may accumulate in sub- and bottomland soils2. Under higher rainfall regimes and
poor or impeded soil drainage conditions, lateral leaching of dissolved solids in the
groundwater along slopes may also result in bottomlands being slightly enriched in salts
(ARC-ISCW, 2004).
In saline soils, the restricting effect of the osmotic pressure of the salts on water uptake by
plant roots may affect the growth of non-salt tolerant plants. Sodicity results in adverse
structure in soils (ARC-ISCW, 2004) and this may have a negative effect on plant growth.
(A sodic soil is a soil with a low soluble salt content and a high exchangeable sodium
percentage (usually ESP > 15) (Soil Classification Working Group, 1991). Soil salinity and
sodicity may lead to a loss in crop production (Badenhorst, 2002) and may affect the long
term agricultural potential of land in the Northern Cape. Soil salinisation is caused by poor
drainage and it can be treated by implementing drainage measures in affected areas. A map
of salt affected soils3 in the Northern Cape can be found in Figure 5. There are three main
categories of salt affected soils and these categories are further divided into different classes
(refer to Table 3).
Table 3: Main categories of salt affected soils, classes associated with each
category and the area that falls into each class of salt affected soils (ARC-ISCW,
2004).
Area (km2)
Saline
Saline-Sodic
Sodic
Non-Saline
Slightly Saline
Moderately Saline
Non-Alkaline Saline-Sodic
Alkaline Saline Sodic
Sodic
Total area
176849
48818
3208
51626
78937
3132
362571
%
48.78
13.46
0.88
14.24
21.77
0.86
100
According to Table 3 above, 63.12 % of the Northern Cape can be classified as saline. This
could be due to naturally occurring salts in water which has accumulated in the soil, natural
soil or geological processes (e.g. rock weathering) or it could be induced by certain
agricultural practices. The map of salt affected soils (Figure 5) does not show major
occurrences of natural soil salinity and sodicity. Due to low sample density, soil salinity
associated with riverine lowlands and irrigated areas, has not been shown (ARC-ISCW,
2004). Data confidence is rated as low since a realistic situation may not be reflected due to
the quality of the data that was used (ARC-ISCW, 2004).
2
Sub-soil refers to underlying surface soil and bottomland soil is a lowland soil formed by alluvial
deposit around a lake basin or a stream.
3
The map is based on electrical conductivity (ds/m), pH, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP),
and geological and mineral resources coverage. These were physically superimposed and interpreted,
making use of best available knowledge.
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Figure 5: Salt affected soils in the Northern Cape (ARC-ISCW, 2004)
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
4.4 Desertification
The Northern Cape is arid with 2% of the land used for crop farming, 96% used for stock
farming (including beef cattle, sheep, goats, and game), and 1% for conservation (Hoffman
and Ashwell, 2001). Mining activities utilise part of the remaining land although exact
figures are not mentioned (Hoffman et al, 1999). The United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly
in Africa (UNCCD) defines desertification as ‘land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human
activities’ (UNCCD, 1994). These areas of the world are called ‘affected drylands’. These
aridity classes set out by the UNCCD are defined by calculating the ratio of mean annual
precipitation (MAP) to potential evapotranspiration (PET).
This indicator is a state indicator depicting the extent of affected drylands over the total
area of the Northern Cape. Affected drylands are areas in which the ratio of MAP to PET
falls within the range 0.05 to 0.65 (Hoffman & Todd, 1999 in Hoffman et al, 1999). The
extent of affected drylands in the Northern Cape is depicted in Table 4 and Figure 6 which
provides the area and percentage of the Province that falls into each aridity zone.
Table 4: The area and percentage of the Northern Cape that fall into the five
aridity zones (Schulze et al, 1997)
Aridity class
Hyper-arid
Arid
Semi-arid
Dry sub-humid
Humid
MAP:PET
< 0.05
0.05 – 0.2
0.2 – 0.5
0.5 – 0.65
> 0.65
Area (km2)
26648.21
300573.46
34977.01
0
0
Percentage of
Province (%)
7.4
83.0
9.7 Affected Drylands
0
0
Approximately 93% of the Northern Cape can be classified as affected drylands, with 7.4%
of the Province having a MAP: PET ratio below the limit for areas that are defined as
affected drylands. This is an indication that most of land in the Northern Cape is potentially
susceptible to desertification and should be managed in such a manner as to prevent land
degradation from increasing, and to protect the land resources from desertification. Data
confidence is rated as high.
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
Figure 6: The distribution of the aridity classes over the Northern Cape. The aridity classes are defined by calculating the
ratio of MAP to PET (Schulze et al, 1997)
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
4.5 Land Restitution4
There have been 2 773 land claims submitted in the Northern Cape, and the Land Claims
Commission had processed 2 606 of these by the end of 2003 (International Marketing
Council, 2003). This indicator shows the land restitution projects that have been settled in
the Northern Cape, the area of land that has been allocated under each project and the
number of households that have been allocated land per project.
Table 5 indicates that 3 997 645.19 ha of land has thus far been allocated to people under
the Land Reform process. (Only cases where land has been involved are reflected in Table
5; those cases where people have decided to receive financial compensation are not
reflected.) The households that are mentioned in Table 5 are not necessarily currently
settled on the land. In these cases, there are some community members who have already
settled on the land but the rest of the community members are waiting for the planning for
establishment of townships and the building of houses to be completed. The only case
where the community has been settled completely on the land is Riemvasmaak in 1994
(Mokomele, pers comm., 2004). It is not clear what the average number of people is per
household, it is therefore difficult to give an indication of what impact the settled people will
have on the areas where they have been settled. The land uses that the communities will
adopt, combined with the current condition of the land, will play a role in determining the
impact that they will have on the land. Data confidence is rated as medium.
Table 5: Land restitution in the Northern Cape: Projects settled from 1994 to
2003 (Mokomele, pers comm., 2004)
Project
Area (hectares)
Riemvasmaak
Groenwater
Skeyfontein
Kono
Ronaldsvlei
Hartswater
Schmidtsdrift (Batlhaping)
Schmidtsdrift (Griqua claim)
Khomani San (two claims)
74 562.81
166
11 849.39
500
12 957.76
500
10 685.24
400
3 71 1447.00
300
249.15
440
31 816.18
800
Not quantifiable
36 891.21
200
25 000.00
297
7 000.00 Not verified
27 000.00
10 218.12
800
1 657.10
380
6 821.64
178
22 489.59
214
3 997 645.19
5175
Mier (two claims)
Majeng
Bucklands
Grootvlakfontein
Khuis
Total
Households
4
The indicator was previously called Land Reform but has since been renamed to Land Restitution
because the only data available on Land Reform was restitution claims
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
5
RESPONSES
5.1 International responses
5.1.1
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious
Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa (UNCCD) has been established to
address land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas of the world. The
UNCCD aims to promote effective action through innovative local programmes and
supportive international partnerships (UNCCD, 2004).
South Africa became a signatory to the UNCCD in 1995 and is obliged to develop a NAP to
combat desertification. South Africa is in the process of finalising its NAP.
5.1.2
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
The objectives of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are:



The conservation of biodiversity;
The sustainable use of biological resources; and
The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources
(DEAT, 2003b).
As a signatory to the Convention, South Africa is required to develop national strategies,
plans and programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. South
Africa has, in response to the Convention, embarked on a process to develop a National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). This Plan will build on the 1997 White Paper
on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biological Diversity (DEAT, 1997)
by translating policy goals into an implementation plan, with firm targets, clear roles and
responsibilities, realistic timeframes and measurable indicators. The NBSAP will help identify
priorities to ensure that South Africa’s biological diversity is preserved for future generations,
that biological resources are used wisely and that all South Africans appreciate, care for and
benefit from our biological diversity (DEAT, 2003a).
5.1.3
United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) is an international agreement whose primary objective is the control of international
trade in endangered species of flora and flora and their products. CITES provides a
framework which is to be respected by each party to the Convention, but each Party has to
adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that the Convention is implemented at a
national level (CITES, 2004).
The National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Convention and acts as a channel of communication
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
between South Africa, the CITES Secretariat and other Parties. The provincial authorities
are responsible for implementing the Convention in their respective provinces (DEAT,
2003c). At provincial level, the local law enforcement units enforce legislation with regard to
CITES. This Convention plays an important role in controlling the trade in endangered
species of flora and fauna in the Province.
5.2 National responses
5.2.1
National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998)
The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) provides for co-operative
environmental governance by establishing principles for decision making on matters
affecting the environment, institutions that will promote co-operative governance and
procedures for coordinating environmental functions exercised by organs of state. It
recognises that all South Africans have the right to an environment that is not harmful to his
or her health or well-being and that the State must protect and fulfil the socio-economic and
environmental rights of all and strive to meet the basic needs of the previously
disadvantaged communities (Republic of South Africa, 1998b).
5.2.2
Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (Act 43 of 1983)
The purpose of this Act is to provide for control over the utilization of the natural agricultural
resources of South Africa, in order to promote the conservation of the soil, water resources,
and vegetation, and the combating of weeds and invader plants (Republic of South Africa,
1983).
5.2.3
National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004)
This Act provides for the management and conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity within
the framework of NEMA. It provides for:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5.2.4
The protection of species and ecosystems that warrant national protection;
The sustainable use of indigenous biological resources;
The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from bio prospecting involving
indigenous biological resources; and
The establishment of a South African National Biodiversity Institute (Republic of
South Africa, 2004a).
National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Act 57 of 2003)
The framework in which this legislation is to be implemented is provided for in NEMA, where
environmental principles are set out and sections common to other legislation in the suite
are located. This Act seeks to bring the system of protected areas in line with the
Constitution and legal order, as well as the policies and programmes of the Government.
This Act provides for the establishment of a representative system of protected areas as part
of the national strategy to protect South Africa’s biodiversity and to ensure that the
sustained biodiversity benefits future generations. It further provides for the participation
by communities in conservation and its associated benefits, and for co-operative governance
in the management of protected areas (Republic of South Africa, 2003).
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
This Bill, when enacted, will impact on the way that land in the Northern Cape is set aside
for conservation and the manner in which that conserved land is managed.
5.2.5
National Forests Act (Act 84 of 1998)
This Act provides for (amongst others):




The sustainable management of all forest types (including woodlands);
The monitoring and reporting on the state of forest resources;
Setting aside of protected areas; and
The promotion of rights of access for recreational and cultural purposes (Republic of
South Africa, 1998a).
These measures may play an effective role in proactively protecting land in the Northern
Cape which may be susceptible to land degradation or desertification.
5.2.6 Restitution of Land Rights Act (Act 22 0f 1994)
This Act provides for the restitution of land rights to persons or communities who were
disposed of land under or for the purpose of furthering the objects of any racially based
discriminatory law (Republic of South Africa, 1994).
There have been 2 773 claims for land restitution submitted in terms of this Act in the
Northern Cape. The implementation of this Act will therefore have an impact on land use
patterns and management in the Province. This Act also makes provision for people who
have been disposed of land to gain security of tenure and this may have an effect on the
way that communal land is managed in the Province.
5.3 Provincial responses
5.3.1
Land Care South Africa
Land Care is a community-based and government supported approach to the sustainable
management and use of agricultural natural resources. The overall objective of Land Care is
to optimise productivity and the sustainability of natural resources, leading to a greater
productivity, food security, job creation and a better quality of life for all.
The National Land Care Secretariat co-ordinates the National Land Care programme in
consultation with relevant National or Provincial departments as well as the wider
community.
Land Care projects or programmes are implemented and funded by
government departments, parastatals, non-governmental organisations, community-based
organisations, communities and individuals. A number of Land Care projects have been
implemented in the Northern Cape. Some of these have focussed on the management of
grazing land, upgrading of fences and water points, eradication of alien plants, restoration of
degraded land and stabilisation of dunes (Land Care South Africa, 2004).
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
6
SUMMARY OF LAND
The Northern Cape Province is an arid province which is susceptible to land degradation and
desertification.
Policies and programmes are required to promote the sustainable
management of land resources in the province. Mining has played a major role in shaping
the economic development of the Province, but has also had a negative impact on land
resources in certain parts of the Province.
The following issues were identified as being the key issues relating to land resources in the
Province:




Land degradation;
Desertification;
Land use; and
Land ownership.
These issues were measured by the use of the following indicators:





Land cover;
Land degradation;
Soil salinisation;
Desertification; and
Land restitution.
An assessment of the Land Cover indicator reflects that most of the Province is dominated
by open areas of natural vegetation consisting of shrublands and low fynbos. A small
percentage (0.7%) is classified as degraded, while 0.2% of the area is affected by dongas
and sheet erosion.
The land degradation indicator shows that 30.3% of the Province can be classified as
moderately degraded and 24.2% of the land falls into the extremely degraded category
(according to the combined soil and veld degradation indices). This indicates that just over
half the Province falls into the moderate and extreme degradation categories. This is a
cause for concern and measures need be devised to ensure that the situation does not
worsen.
Soil salinisation is a problem in the Province, particularly in areas where irrigated agriculture
is practised. Soil salinisation is represented using a map of salt affected areas for the
Province; however, this map may not reflect the true situation due to the quality of the data
that was used to produce this map. Salinisation of soils can lead to a change in soil
structure and a loss of agricultural potential which is not easily reversible. Programmes to
prevent salinisation of soils should therefore be instituted and farmers should be assisted to
enable the application of the most appropriate practices for their farming conditions.
The desertification indicator shows that 92.6% of the Province can be classified as ‘affected
drylands’ with a further 7.4% having a MAP: PET ratio lower than that of the ‘affected
drylands’. The Province is therefore very susceptible to desertification and additional
programmes to promote sustainable land management should be established. The NAP to
combat desertification and land degradation should take the Northern Cape as one of its
focal areas in which to implement interventions.
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2004 NC SoER – Land Specialist Report 6 of 7
There have been 2 773 claims for land restitution submitted in the Northern Cape and the
Land Claims Commission had processed 2 606 of these by the end of 2003 (International
Marketing Council, 2003). The Land Restitution indicator shows that 3 997 645.19 ha of
land is being claimed.
Concerns have been raised over the changes in land use that may take place as a result of
people being resettled on land as part of the Land Reform programme. The Department of
Land Affairs, together with the provincial and local authorities should ensure that
appropriate and sustainable land management systems are implemented in areas where
people are resettled.
7
REFERENCES
Agricultural Research Council - Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ARC-ISCW). 2004.
Overview of the status of the Natural Agricultural Resources of South Africa. ARC-ISCW
Report No. GW/A/2004/13.
Badenhorst, J.W. 2002. Soil Conservation Report on Sub-Surface Drainage for the Financial
Year 2001/2002. Report compiled for the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Land
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CITES.
2004.
What
is
http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/what.shtml
CITES?
[Online].
Available
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DEAT. 2003a. National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Newsletter: November 2003.
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Convention
http://www.environment.gov.za
on
Biological
Diversity.
[Online].
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[Online]. Available at:
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DEAT. 1997. White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s
Biological Diversity. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
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http://land.pwv.gov.za/home.htm
DWAF. 2004. Northern Cape Strategy. Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. [Online].
Available
at:
http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Forestry/Community
%20Forestry/Where/Northern%20Cape/
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Hoffman, T. & Ashwell, A. 2001. Nature Divided: Land Degradation in South Africa.
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[Online]. Available:
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Commission - Free State and Northern Cape.
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Conservation Budget Speech 2002/2003 - MEC Rooi. [Online]. Available at:
http://www.northern-cape.gov.za/docs/sp/showsp.asp?ID=144
Northern Cape Provincial Government. 2002b. Mbeki to hand over San Land. [Online].
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Northern
Cape Provincial Government. 2001.
Development.
[Online].
Available
cape.gov.za/current/projects.lrad.asp
Land Redistribution for Agricultural
at:
http://www.northern-
Republic of South Africa. 2004a. National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, Act
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Act 57 of 2004. Pretoria: Government Gazette.
Republic of South Africa. 1998a. National Forests Act, Act 84 of 1998. Pretoria: Government
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Republic of South Africa. 1998b. National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998.
Pretoria: Government Gazette.
Republic of South Africa. 1994. Restitution of Land Rights Act, Act 22 of 1994. Pretoria:
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Republic of South Africa. 1983. Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, Act 43 of 1983.
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SAEP. 2003. Mining and the Environment. Southern Africa Environment Page. [Online].
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Schulze, R.E., Maharaj, M., Lynch, S.D., Howe, B.J. and Melvil-Thomson, B. 1997. South
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Research Project Conducted under the Auspices of the Soil and Irrigation Research Institute,
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8
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge contributions from the following people:








Tim Hoffman, University of Cape Town;
Avishkar Koosialee, CSIR;
Arjoon Singh, CSIR;
Gavin Fleming, CSIR;
Marjan van der Walt, ARC Institute for Soil, Climate and Water;
Jan Schoeman, ARC Institute for Soil, Climate and Water;
Jan Badenhorst, Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Land Reform,
Environment and Conservation; and
Pete Mokomele, Department of Land Affairs, Regional Land Claims Commission Free State and Northern Cape.
24