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South Africa
10-19 November 2003
The fact-finding visit to
South Africa focused on land restitution and reform, community
participation, and the relationship between restitution and
post-conflict reconciliation. Participants met with government
officials,
 NGOs,
and beneficiaries of the restitution process. Dispossession of black
South Africans began in 1652 when the first European settlers arrived in
the Cape Province of South Africa and continued until the 1990s. During
the Apartheid era millions of black South Africans were forcibly removed
from their homes and lands. Apartheid policies and laws left eighty
percent of the population of the country with access to only thirteen
percent of the land.
Several themes
emerged during the visit to South Africa. Land restitution and reform is
incredibly complex. Insufficient political will combined with agreements
that leave issues open for future discussion may not only delay but set
back the process of reconciliation. Political compromises over basic
human rights can have
the same effect. Community participation is critical to ensure public
ownership of agreements and effective implementation.
Jean du
Plessis provided invaluable assistance to BADIL in organizing the visit
program. Mr. Du Plessis is the former director (1997-2000) of the South
African Restitution of Land Rights Programme. He is currently Deputy
Director of COHRE, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions. The BADIL visit would not
have been possible without the valuable assistance and support provided
by numerous individuals and organizations in South Africa, foremost the
Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA) and the Media Review Network (MRN).
Further valuable input on the trip was provided by Ms. Ruth Hall
(University of Western Cape), Ms. Cherryl Walker (Human Sciences
Research Council, Durban), and Mr. Monty Roodt (Rhodes University) and
Ms. Aisling Byrne of Al-Awda UK.
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