Redressing dispossession and inequality
Land dispossession and inequality are central to the South African story. By the end of the 19th century black people in South Africa had been dispossessed of the majority of their land. People were forced into reserves designated by the colonial authorities. These reserves provided the foundations for the bantustans under apartheid. They became dumping grounds for millions of people who were forcibly removed from 'black spots', white owned farms and urban areas.
Since the democratic transition in 1994 the bantustans no longer exist in law, but they remain impoverished and peoples' land and citizenship rights remain at risk. Tenure insecurity persists in South Africa with an estimated 70% of property rights remaining undocumented.
A civil society initiative to promote people centred land governance
The Land Network National Engagement Strategy (LandNNES), is a consultative civil society platform convening members to redress inequality and promote people-centred land governance in South Africa.
LandNNES seeks to practically realise the rights guaranteed in Section 25(5)- 25(8) of the Constitution:
LandNNES seeks to practically realise the rights guaranteed in Section 25(5)- 25(8) of the Constitution:
- The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to foster conditions which enable citizens to gain access to land on an equitable basis.
- A person or community whose tenure of land is legally insecure as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices is entitled, to the extent provided by an Act of Parliament, either to tenure which is legally secure or to comparable redress.
- A person or community dispossessed of property after 19 June 1913 as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices is entitled, to the extent provided by an Act of Parliament, either to restitution of that property or to equitable redress.
- No provision of this section may impede the state from taking legislative and other measures to achieve land, water and related reform, in order to redress the results
Working across the landscape
Our members work across the South African landscape: From the former bantustans and 'coloured rural areas , with farmworkers and dwellers, with labour tenants and mining affected communities' to informal settlements and landless and homeless people in the cities.
Our starting point
Photo by Judelle Drake via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Launch
LandNNES was launched by civil society stakeholders in 2017, following the establishment of a national Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) to advance people centred land governance. LandNNES constitutes a consultative civil society platform which brings together members with a common medium-long term perspective for inclusive and equitable land governance.
The Network is currently focussed on policy level advocacy through a strategy of Connecting, Mobilising and Engaging. The strategic goal of LandNNES is to realise equitable, inclusive and participatory land governance, and effective land administration, that particularly enhances women's land rights.
ILC support
The lnternational Land Coalition (lLC) has assisted civil society to launch LandNNES. The ILC is a global alliance of over 200 civil society and intergovernmental organisations working together to put people at the centre of land governance. Over the past decades, the ILC has advanced its mission by promoting secure access to land for rural people through capacity building, dialogue, and advocacy.
LandNNES was launched by civil society stakeholders in 2017, following the establishment of a national Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) to advance people centred land governance. LandNNES constitutes a consultative civil society platform which brings together members with a common medium-long term perspective for inclusive and equitable land governance.
The Network is currently focussed on policy level advocacy through a strategy of Connecting, Mobilising and Engaging. The strategic goal of LandNNES is to realise equitable, inclusive and participatory land governance, and effective land administration, that particularly enhances women's land rights.
ILC support
The lnternational Land Coalition (lLC) has assisted civil society to launch LandNNES. The ILC is a global alliance of over 200 civil society and intergovernmental organisations working together to put people at the centre of land governance. Over the past decades, the ILC has advanced its mission by promoting secure access to land for rural people through capacity building, dialogue, and advocacy.
