The roots and complexity of the land issue and of land claims in South Africa

Abstract

Land reform and land restitution are current and emotional issues in South Africa and a scrutiny of the antecedent events and processes is crucial for an understanding of the complexities involved. Comprehending the land issue requires a reflection on the effect of the difaqane (wars of destruction) on the lives of people and their desolation in the interior of South Africa the impact of official regulations and legislation by successive white governments on the land rights of blacks the passing of recent legislation for the restitution of land rights which blacks believed they were deprived of after 19 June 1913 due to racially-based laws and practices. In a case study which focuses on the land claim of the ‘Mekgareng Community’ in the Bojanala District of the North West Province the effect of the factors indicated above is discussed to illustrate the main issues involved.