Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African land question presents complex legal and social challenges. The
legal aspects of land are inextricably linked to other socio-economic aspects, such
as access to housing, healthcare, water and social security. The Constitution
provides for land reform in the property clause - section 25. This clause, while
seeking to redress the colonial land dispossessions, by means of a tripartite land
reform programme, also protects the property rights of all. The different legs of the
land reform programme are redistribution, which is aimed at enabling citizens to
access land on an equitable basis; restitution, which sets out to restore property
rights or grant equitable redress to those dispossessed of land as a result of past
racially discriminatory laws or practices and finally tenure reform. Tenure reform is
premised on transforming the landholding system of those with legally insecure
tenure as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices or granting
comparable redress. The primary focus of this thesis is on tenure security for black
rural women in South Africa, while using the Namibian experience with regard of the
same group as a comparison. Historically, before colonialism, landholding was governed by the customary law of
the various tribes in South Africa. This landholding system underwent extensive
change through the colonial era that ultimately led to a fragmented and
disproportionate distribution of land based on race, with insecure land rights
particularly in rural areas, where women are the majority. With the dawn of the
Constitutional era, South Africa embarked upon a social justice project, based on a
supreme Constitution, embodying human dignity, equality, non-racialism,
accountability and the rule of law. Land reform forms part of the social project and is
governed by the Constitution and influenced by both the civil and customary law.
With the South African tenure context, policy documents, legislation and case law
will be analysed. In this process the role of the stakeholders and other related
factors, for example customary practices are also considered. The analysis indicates
that case law has played a significant part in addressing women’s plight with regard
to equality, tenure reform and abolishing suppressive legislative provisions and practices. It is furthermore clear that the different categories of women are affected
differently by the overarching tenure and other related measures.
For a legal comparative study, Namibia was chosen for the following reasons: (a)
both South Africa and Namibia have a shared colonial and apartheid background; (b)
both countries have a Constitutional foundation incorporating human rights and
equality; and (c) both countries have embarked on land reform programmes.
However, contrary to the South African position, both the Namibian Constitution and
its National Land Policy are more gender-specific. Tenure reform is an on-going
process in Namibia in terms of which specific categories of women have benefitted
lately. To that end the gender inclined approach may be of specific value for the
South African situation, in general, but in particular concerning black rural women.
Consequently, particular recommendations, linked to the specific categories of
women, are finally provided for the South African position, in light of the Namibian
experience. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse grondkwessie beliggaam ingewikkelde regs- en sosiale
uitdagings. Die regsaspekte wat verband hou met grond is ook onlosmaaklik
gekoppel aan sosio-ekonomiese kwessies, soos byvoorbeeld toegang to behuising,
gesondheidsdienste, water en sosiale sekuriteit. Die Grondwet maak vir
grondhervorming in die eiendomsklousule, artikel 25, voorsiening. Die
eiendomsklousule beoog om koloniale grondontnemings (deur ‘n drie-ledige
oorhoofse grondhervormingsprogram) aan te spreek en terselfdertyd eiendomsregte
te beskerm. Die oorhoofse grondhervormingsprogram bestaan uit herverdeling,
waarmee billike toegang tot grond vir alle burgers bewerkstellig word; restitusie,
waarvolgens herstel (of ander billike vergoeding) vir persone en gemeenskappe wat
grond en regte as gevolg van rasdiskriminerende maatreëls verloor het,
bewerkstellig word en laastens grondbeheerhervorming. Grondbeheerhervorming
behels die aanpas of opgradeer van grondbeheervorme (of die betaal van billike
vergoeding) in gevalle waar regte onseker (of swak) is weens rasdiskriminerende
maatreëls en praktyke van die verlede. Die hooffokus van die tesis is op die
regsekerheid (al dan nie) van grondbeheer van swart landelike vrouens in Suid-
Afrika, met die Namibiese ervaring as regsvergelykende komponent. Histories, voordat kolonialisme ingetree het, was grondbeheer deur die tradisionele
inheemse reg van die verskillende gemeenskappe in Suid-Afrika gereguleer. Hierdie
grondbeheersisteme het grootskaalse verandering gedurende die koloniale tydperk
ondergaan. Dit het eindelik tot ‘n rasgebaseerde, gefragmenteerde sisteem gelei
waarvan die verdeling van grond disproporsioneel was en die grondbeheervorme
regsonseker, veral in die landelike gebiede waar vrouens die meerderheid van die
bevolking uitmaak.
Toe die grondwetlike era in Suid-Afrika aanbreek, is daar met ‘n sosiale
geregtigheidprojek (heropbou en ontwikkeling) begin. Hierdie benadering is op die
Grondwet gefundeer waarin menswaardigheid, gelykheid, nie-rassigheid, rekenskap
en regsorde beliggaam is. Grondhervorming vorm deel van die oorhoofse projek en word deur die Grondwet bestuur en deur beide die nasionale en die Inheems reg
beïnvloed.
Met betrekking tot die Suid-Afrikaanse grondbeheeristeem word beleidsdokumente,
wetgewing en regspraak geanaliseer. In hierdie proses word die rol van
belanghebbendes en ander verwante aspekte, soos byvoorbeeld Inheemse partyke,
ook oorweeg. Die analise dui aan dat dit veral ontwikkelings in regspraak is wat ‘n
groot bydrae gelewer het om vrouens se stryd om gelykheid en sekerheid van
grondbeheer te bevorder en wat gelei het tot die afskaffing van onderdrukkende
wetgewende maatreëls en praktyke. Dit is verder ook duidelik dat verskillende
kategorieë van vrouens verskillend deur die oorhoofse grondbeheer- en ander
verwante maatreëls, geaffekteer word. Namibië is vir die regsvergelykende analise geïdentifiseer omdat (a) beide Suid-
Afrika en Namibië ‘n koloniale en apartheidsgeskiedenis deel; (b) beide jurisdiksies
‘n grondwetlike basis het waarin menseregte en gelykheid beliggaam word; en (c)
beide lande grondhervormingsprogramme van stapel gestuur het. In teenstelling met
die Suid-Afrikaanse benadering, is die Namibiese Grondwet en die nasionale
grondbeleid egter meer geslag-spesifiek. Grondbeheerhervorming in Namibië is ‘n
aaneenlopende proses waaruit veral sekere kategorieë vrouens onlangs voordeel
getrek het. Om daardie rede mag die geslag-spesifke benadering wat in Namibië
gevolg word vir Suid-Afrika ook van waarde wees, nie net in die algemeen by
grondbeheer nie, maar spesifiek ook met betrekking tot swart landelike vroue. In die
lig van die Namibiese ervaring word daar ten slotte spesifieke aanbevelings tot die
Suid-Afrikaanse sisteem, gekoppel aan bepaalde kategorieë van vroue, gemaak.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/71692 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Kamkuemah, Anna Ndaadhomagano |
| Contributors | Pienaar, Juanita, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Private Law. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Format | 260 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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