Abstract
In rural sub-Saharan Africa, land management is based on customary ownership, a practice deeply rooted in local cultural traditions and community customs. Tribal authorities typically allocate land based on factors such as ancestry, social status or necessity, often without using formal land-use planning tools or frameworks, leaving residents vulnerable to the effects of climate change, namely flooding. Land allocation without formal zoning, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) or municipal oversight has led to homesteads being developed along rivers, increasing the vulnerability of residents to floods and rising natural disasters. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of customary land use frameworks on spatial practices in Tshithuthuni village, focusing on the instruments and procedures employed by the tribal authority to promote sustainable rural development. The study employed an exploratory research design, combining a mixed-methods research approach. The tools used to collect data include interviews with 3 municipal officials, 2 tribal authorities and 1 community representative, as well as questionnaires distributed to 100 residents. The data collected were analysed using thematic and statistical methods in SPSS and Atlas.ti to identify inefficiencies in land allocation and challenges residents encounter during flooding and to establish a link between unsafe residential allocation and inadequate planning. The study highlighted the absence of official planning tools and procedures and revealed inefficiencies in land governance. Although there is a system in place, it is not officially registered, and challenges, including unequal land allocation, a lack of transparency, the absence of title deeds, and a lack of cooperation, continue. In response to these challenges, the study developed the Customary-Municipal Land Allocation Framework to improve land use management in rural areas to reduce climate change risks. The framework tackles land allocation challenges by improving hybrid land governance, combining Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) with municipal planning tools to ensure involvement in decision-making and incorporating flood risk-sensitive land use planning into customary allocation practices. The study concluded that since customary land governance remains the custodian of rural areas, its disengagement from municipal land use planning challenges the environmental sustainability and community resilience. The study makes a significant contribution to rural land allocation practices by drawing lessons from Tshithuthuni village.