South African land restitution : unpacking the backlog problem

The land question in South Africa is a politically saturated construct that generated colossal answers in scholarly accounts. The imprints of forced removals on the social landscape of South Africa seem indelible, while the impact of restitution programme is questionable. This article contends that...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:African renaissance 2019-12, Vol.16 (4), p.69-90
Main Authors: Mudau, Joseph, Mukonza, Ricky Munyaradzi, Ntshangase, Bhekabantu Alson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Developmental state
Land question
Land restitution
Policy
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The land question in South Africa is a politically saturated construct that generated colossal answers in scholarly accounts. The imprints of forced removals on the social landscape of South Africa seem indelible, while the impact of restitution programme is questionable. This article contends that South Africa, having the challenge of land inequalities, the new democratic government in 1994 adopted policies aimed at using land reform as a means of fostering economic growth. The article is empirical and the context of its consideration is the Gauteng Regional Land Claims Commission. The research methodology adopted is qualitative, and the aim is to unpack the backlog problem in land claims. Both questionnaires with open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews were employed. Secondary data is limited to a literature review. The findings illustrate that the Commission deviated from its mandate. This article recommends the establishment of a restitution unit. A proposed model is also provided.
ISSN:1744-2532
2516-5305
DOI:10.31920/2516-5305/2019/16n1a4