Land Claims and Land Restitution in South Africa
By Cheryl Walker
The year 2008 was a deadline set by President Mbeki for the finalisation of all land claims by people who were dispossessed under the apartheid and previous white governments.
Although most experts agreed this was an impossible deadline, it did provide a significant political moment for reflection on the ANC government’s program of land restitution since the end of apartheid.
An in-depth analysis
Land reform (and land restitution within that) remains a highly charged issue in South Africa, one that deserves more in-depth analysis.
Drawing on her experience as Rural Land Claims Commissioner in KwaZulu–Natal from 1995 to 2000, Professor Cherryl Walker provides a multilayered account of land reform in South Africa, one that covers general critical commentary, detailed case material, and personal narrative.
She explores the master narrative of loss and restoration, which has been fundamental in shaping the restitution program; offers a critical overview of the achievements of the program as a whole; and discusses what she calls the ‘non–programmatic limits to land reform’, including urbanisation, environmental constraints and the impact of HIV/AIDS.
About the author
Cherryl Walker is a Professor and the Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at the University of Stellenbosch. She was the Regional Land Claims Commissioner in KwaZulu–Natal from 1995 to 2000. She is the author of Women and Resistance in South Africa.
- PUBLISHER | Jacana Media |
- ISBN | 9781770096325 |
- Recommended Retail Price | R260.00 |
- Classification | History, Viewpoint |
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