Thesis (LLD )--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation considers the housing rights of unlawful occupiers in the post-1994
constitutional dispensation. Section 26 of the Constitution of the Republic of South
Africa, 1996 affords everyone a right of access to adequate housing. This provision is a
decisive break with the apartheid past, where forced eviction banished black people to
the periphery of society. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that the
Constitution envisages the creation of a society that is committed to large-scale
transformation. This dissertation posits that it is impossible to realise the full
transformative potential of section 26 of the Constitution in the absence of an
independent and substantive understanding of what it means to have access to
adequate housing.
This dissertation traverses legal theory as well as the common law of evictions,
constitutional law and international law. A consciously interdisciplinary approach is
adopted in seeking to develop the content of section 26 of the Constitution, drawing on
literature from social and political science. This dissertation develops an organising
framework for giving substantive content to section 26(1) of the Constitution with
reference to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the
Revised European Social Charter, the American Convention on Human Rights and the
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
This dissertation shows that the adjudication of eviction disputes has moved away
from a position under the common law where Courts had no discretion to refuse eviction
orders based on the personal circumstances of the squatters. The adjudication of the
eviction of unlawful occupiers now requires a context-sensitive analysis that seeks to
find concrete and case-specific solutions. These solutions are achieved by considering
what would be just and equitable for both the land owner and the unlawful occupiers.
This dissertation also shows that the government has a markedly different role to fulfil in
post-apartheid evictions through the necessary joinder of local authorities to eviction
proceedings, meaningful engagement with unlawful occupiers and the provision of
alternative accommodation in terms of its constitutional and statutory obligations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die behuisingsregte van onregmatige okkupeerders in die
post-1994 grondwetlike bedeling. Artikel 26 van die Grondwet van die Republiek van
Suid-Afrika, 1996 gee elke persoon die reg op toegang tot geskikte behuising. Hierdie
bepaling is ‘n duidelike breuk met die apartheid-verlede waar gedwonge uitsettings
swart mense na die periferie van die samelewing verban het. Die sentrale hipotese van
hierdie proefskrif is dat die Grondwet beoog om ‘n samelewing te skep wat verbind is tot
grootskaalse transformasie. Hierdie proefskrif voer aan dat dit onmoontlik is om die
volle transformerende potensiaal van artikel 26 van die Grondwet te verwesenlik in die
afwesigheid van ‘n onafhanklike en substantiewe begrip van wat dit beteken om
toegang tot geskikte behuising te hê.
Hierdie proefskrif deurkruis regsteorie sowel as die gemenereg ten aansien van
uitsettings, staatsreg and internasionale reg. ‘n Doelbewuste interdisiplinêre benadering
word gevolg in die soeke na die ontwikkeling van die inhoud van artikel 26 van die
Grondwet met verwysing na literatuur uit die sosiale- en politieke wetenskappe. Die
proefskrif ontwikkel ‘n organiserende raamwerk waarmee substantiewe inhoud aan
artikel 26(1) van die Grondwet verleen kan word met verwysing na die Internasionale
Verdrag op Ekonomiese, Sosiale en Kulturele Regte; die Konvensie vir die Beskerming
van Menseregte en Fundamentele Vryhede; die Hersiene Europese Sosiale Handves;
die Amerikaanse Konvensie op Menseregte en die Afrika Handves op Mense en
Persoonsregte.
Hierdie proefskrif wys dat die beregting van uitsettingsdispute wegbeweeg het van ’n
posisie onder die gemenereg waar howe geen diskresie gehad het om uitsettingsbevele
te weier op grond van die persoonlike omstandighede van die plakkers nie. Die
beregting van uitsettingsdispute vereis nou ‘n konteks-sensitiewe analise wat strewe
daarna om konkrete oplossings te vind. Hierdie oplossings word bereik deur in ag te
neem wat reg en billik sal wees vir beide die eienaar en die onregmatige okkupeerders.
Die proefskrif wys ook dat die regering ‘n merkbaar nuwe rol vervul in post-apartheid
uitsettings deur die noodsaaklike voeging van munisipaliteite tot uitsettings, sinvolle
interaksie met onregmatige okkupeerders en die voorsiening van alternatiewe
akkommodasie in terme van grondwetlike and statutêre pligte.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/18122 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Muller, Gustav |
| Contributors | Liebenberg, S., Van der Walt, A. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept.of Public Law. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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