ABSTRACT
Various researches on land reform, particularly in Namibia, have focused on impact assessments (outcomes) of the reform, to the neglect of its procedures. The study presented in this chapter fills this knowledge gap. It presents a theoretical understanding of the concept of responsible land interventions in the context of redistributive land reform in Namibia. It assesses how “responsible” the redistributive land reform of Namibia has been to selected farmers. It makes a case for “responsible land reform” and ways to fast-track its implementation to foster land accessibility by all (women, the youth, and men), without undermining its effectiveness or efficiency. The chapter uses a responsible land intervention matrix to analyze perceptual and experiential data from beneficiaries of the reform. It also uses expert interviews (and archival data) from the agency in charge of implementing the land reform, to probe into the procedures involved in the implementation of the reform. The study found (among other issues) that 50% of the activities involved in the land acquisition processes are delay-generating steps that must be improved to fast-track the reform process. It then concludes with recommendations on how to ensure a “responsible” fast-tracking of the process.
