Rural Livelihoods and Rural Development in South Africa: The Case of the Eastern Cape Province - Tapa dura

"Phiri's book is an eye-opener on how post-apartheid government has strived to address inequalities...the book educates the reader on the dynamics and complexities of development in developing countries. The themes tap into the realities versus the optimistic development." (Jim Ocitti, Author, Political Evolution and Democratic Practice in Uganda and Press Politics and Public Policy in Uganda.) "The book looks at how the farmers have used local farming knowledge and existing resources to survive in a changing South Africa... [It] shows the importance of the use of social relations and networks for farmers' well-being and looks particularly at the relationship between the local government and its capacity to support rural and emerging farmers." (Dr. John Mudau, University of Venda)

The book draws on a broad phenomenological approach to understanding why the post-apartheid government's top-down approaches has failed to alleviate poverty in South Africa. It provides an examination of the bottom-up approach to poverty alleviation by pointing out the vulnerability, capability and capacity of the rural people to cope and develop sustainable livelihoods approaches dependent on their available resources and networking relationships with local governments. The book explores the dynamics and complexities of rural livelihoods in rural South Africa. In the midst of two economies rural households are embedded in poverty developing livelihoods portfolios. The livelihood portfolios developed included the use of natural resources such as livestock and land. The book highlights the role of local government departments and development agencies in addressing poverty. The problematic nature of government's interventions and its implications on the deepening poverty is highlighted. The top-down approach to rural development has failed to reduce rural poverty. Rural communities in the Eastern Cape used the bottom-up approach to address levels of poverty. Government introduced the ministry of rural development to alleviate rural poverty. The rural policies and strategies in place have not made any impact. Local government initiatives have not lived up to the expectations and planned goals. The communities had no option but use local knowledge to improve their quality of life. Through case studies the book illustrates potential effectiveness of 'bottom-up' actor oriented approach to rural development.