RECOMMENDATIONS

The following section aims to outline some disadvantages relating to multiple land uses and make some suggestions for how local authorities should manage this phenomenon. It also makes recommendations on the management of the commonages, as well as recommendations on the management of rural land-use change in the Stellenbosch area. The last section discusses possibilities for future research that can complement this study.

6.3.1 Drawbacks relating to multiple land use and the management thereof

Farms are now being used for their aesthetic and recreational properties. Production is no longer the main function; it is rather “the provision of ecosystem services, amenities and aesthetics [that] now prevails as the main function of rural land” (Paquette & Domon, 2003:

432). From a social point of view it can be argued that a reduction in primary production is

needed to ensure sustainability. The greater public now demands more environmental services, amenities, food safety, and other public goods from rural areas.

McCarthy (2008) defines amenity migration as “the purchasing of primary or secondary residences in rural areas valued for their aesthetic, recreational, and other consumption-orientated use values…”. An increase in the number of people moving to the countryside is currently taking place, resulting from the loosening of restrictions on foreign ownership of land and property. The sense of place, as well as the sense of community, is suffering because of the influx of foreigners. Foreigners have different customs and beliefs that can have a negative impact on the local traditions of a region. The construction of modern buildings and infrastructure on farms can alter the sense of place, damage the rural landscapes as tourist attractions, and gentrify the countryside, marginalising the rural poor (Western Cape, 2005b).

Workers who once depended on income from working on the farm are left jobless, and since many of them have no other skills they cannot establish themselves in any other sphere of work.

Local government must thus ensure that multifunctional farms do not predominate in the area.

A balance must be maintained between multifunctional farms and farms where primary production predominates. Stellenbosch is known predominantly as a major wine-producing region with unspoiled scenery. The image of this region could easily be damaged irreparably if a balance is not maintained.

6.3.2 Municipal responsibilities regarding the commonages

With South Africa’s new political dispensation after 1994 it became a policy recommendation that land should be handed to black aspirant farmers. Municipalities play a vital role in perfecting this process, and therefore should provide governance of an outstanding quality.

There must be cohesion between different municipal departments regarding the price of the commonages. Technical and financial assistance should be given to emerging farmers for them to succeed in their practices. Financial assistance could be offered in two ways, namely as loans or as advice on how to get access to funds. Skilled personnel should be appointed to supervise the commonages in terms of the maintenance of the infrastructure. Emerging farmers should be trained in agricultural skills, such as the ploughing of crops, disease control and other agriculture-related techniques. Emerging farmers should be assisted in becoming prosperous, commercial farmers.

Municipalities should ensure the provision of services to the community in a sustainable manner. Income from the commonages should be used to uplift the disadvantaged by providing adequate housing, electricity and sanitation. Endorsing social and economic development and promoting a safe and healthy environment for all should be the municipality’s main concerns.

6.3.3 The management of rural land-use change

The decisions on rural development applications should be based on the following ecologically sustainable land-use principles, namely social inclusion, the safekeeping and improvement of the environment, the discreet use of natural resources, and maintaining high and stable levels of economic growth (Western Cape, 2009).

A good quality of, as well as carefully sited, development should be encouraged in existing settlements. Accessibility should be a key factor in all development decisions. The development of new buildings in the open countryside, away from active settlements, should be strictly controlled with regard to scale, height, colour, roof profile, etc. Priority should be given to the re-use of previously developed sites in preference to greenfields sites. All development in rural areas should be well considered and inclusive, in keeping and scale with the location, and sensitive to the character of the rural landscape and its local distinctiveness (Western Cape, 2009).

The provincial authorities of the Western Cape are concerned with the current rural development patterns in the region. There are several reasons for this growing concern: the snowballing impact of piecemeal development in different municipal jurisdictions is fragmenting the Western Cape’s rural landscapes and eroding the region’s natural resource base. As the Western Cape’s rural assets are of national importance from an ecological, cultural and economic perspective, it is of the utmost importance for the authorities to ensure that the asset base is developed in a sustainable manner, with special reference to alleviating poverty, promoting food security, facilitating land reform, and minimising the impacts of climate change. The Western Cape’s urban edge policy, aimed at containing urban sprawl and promoting the restructuring of human settlements, has led to property developers turning their attention to the rural areas. In the absence of a sound provincial policy on how these development pressures should be managed, there are growing occurrences of rural residential sprawl. Whilst the provincial government encourages investment in its rural areas, some forms of rural development are altering the Western Cape’s settlement structure, damaging

the genuineness of rural landscapes as prime tourist attractions, gentrifying the countryside and marginalising the rural poor, and contributing to an overall decline in public access to rural areas (Western Cape, 2005b).

Given the limited rural revenue base and staff shortages, municipalities lack the ability to plan for and manage their rural areas, resulting in rural areas being neglected. There is a growing disjuncture between the zoning of rural land and how it is used, and the diverse understandings of what land uses are appropriate in a rural context. Municipalities should ensure that commonages are used only for the purpose for which they were zoned. Fines should be levied when farmers do not comply with the predetermined rules and regulations.