AFRA is an independent NGO working on land rights and agrarian reform in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. AFRA's work focuses on black rural people whose rights to land have been undermined, whose tenure is insecure, and who do not have access to sufficient land to fulfill their development aspirations or even their basic needs.
AFRA is proud to announce the launch of its Land Rights Legal Unit publication the "Land Legal Review"
by Nokuthula Mthimunye, 24 Jan 2012
Click link to read this issue or View the articles here
Actionaid child sponsorship brings development in Greytown schools
By Nokuthula Mthimunye, 19 January 2012
In December 2011, a child-focused project run by AFRA in partnership with Actionaid South Africa embarked on a campaign to bring development to some of the Greytown schools. This was done after realizing the many challenges facing these schools (such as dilapidated school buildings and the shortage of learning materials).
Building materials (doors, cement, gutters, etc), equipment (gardening tools, gas stoves, reading materials, etc), and school and sports uniforms were amongst the things that were delivered by the Actionaid-AFRA team to the schools. Read more
AFRA hosts the French Development Agency AFD
Stephen Hulbert, 2 Dec 2011
On November 30, 2011, AFRA hosted JoséTissier (divisional head of rural agriculture) and Roger Luhalwe (regional agent for South Africa) of the French Development Agency AFD.
AFRA director Stephen Hulbert and deputy director Musa Zakwe accompanied the AFD visitors on a field trip to the Greytown area, where a White commercial farmer (John du Preez) and a previously labour tenant group (settled on some 550Ha at Jabulani) shared their experiences of land reform/tenure upgrade attempts, their assessment of the current status quo, and their fears and hopes for the future. Read more
National Land Reform Workshop
By Nokuthula Mthimunye, 21 November 2011
On Friday, 11 November, Tshintsha Amakhaya partners and constituencies had a workshop on the Land Reform Green Paper at the Woodridge Country Hotel in Balgowan, KwaZulu-Natal.
The purpose of the workshop was to consolidate responses from local consultations on the Green Paper on Land Reform into a joint Tshintsha Amakhaya submission in which an alternative vision on agrarian and land reform could be articulated.
Tshintsha Amakhaya partners and community members that attended the workshop were expected to bring their draft submissions and present key issues that emerged from their consultations. Read more
Rural Women use International Rural Women’s Day to profile their issues
by Musa Zakwe, 21 Oct 2011
About 200 women, dominated by those from rural areas converged in Capital Pretoria on a National Women's Assembly organized by Rural Women's Caucus, supported by Actionaid, Oxfam and many other Civil Society organizations (who are supporting women) from eight Provinces. This Assembly was held between the 13-15 October 2011, in Coleseum Hotel, Pretoria. The aim of this Assembly was to create space for women to deliberate on issues affecting them and come up with new strategies and solutions to their problems.
In this Assembly AFRA collaborated with KZN Rural Women's Movement (RWM) in organising and accompanying twenty women from KwaZulu-Natal to Pretoria. The workshop was divided into two sections whereby the first two days were dedicated to women sharing their issues and hardships. Read more
by Thamsanqa Magubane. The Witness. 5th October 2011
THE land claimants in the Mpushini valley in the Ashburton area, who alleged they were swindled of their land by a local tribal chief Inkosi Simphiwe Majozi, have won the first round in their bid to reclaim the ownership of that land.
The four families, the Mchunu, Mlambo, Mthembu and Mncubes claimed they were the legal owners of the vast vacant land in the Mpushini valley which comprises of several farms. Read more
by Thabo Manyathi, Published in The Witness 22 Sept 2011
In recent times the courts, especially the Constitutional Court, have came under attack. The main charge is that they have assumed an oppositional role to the Legislature or Parliament.
The judgments of such courts have been questioned. Assertions have been made to the effect that judgments have been made that are in the main a function of ideological positioning rather than jurisprudential logic.
Judicial independence emanates from the doctrine of separation of powers which is the major basis for a democratic state, therefore the courts are subject only to the law and the Constitution. Read more
AFRA Gives to the Rural Poor
by Nokuthula Mthimunye, 21 Sept 2011
A global movement for positive change begins with small actions. As each person acts, they fuel momentum toward positive change, raising awareness and expanding the reach of Mr. Mandela’s values — fighting injustice, helping people in need and practicing reconciliation (SAGI, President Jacob Zuma, 2011). Read more
LPM announces direct actions to reclaim land and social justice
Media release
(Johannesburg, 16th September 2011) - The Landless People´s Movement of South Africa, a social movement of rural people and people living in shack settlements in cities, announces the revival of the mass struggle for land and agrarian reform, after a moment of apparent silence.
The movement announced this intention in a press conference held in Johannesburg on the 16th September.
As the situation of rural and urban poor and the state of land and agrarian reform is not showing significant changes in South Africa, LPM decides to carry out direct and concrete actions in order to reclaim land and social justice. Read more
Land: no relief soon
12 Sept 2011
The Witness
The recently released Green Paper on land reform won't resolve the current crisis, writes Mike Cowling
The main weakness in the Green Paper is that it fails to address adequately the lack of tenure security that confronts the millions of farm dwelllers and those residing on communal lands. Read more
Press Release: AFRA comment on the Green Paper on land reform
8 Sept 2011
After a wait of 2 ½ years the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (the Department) has finally produced the much awaited Green Paper on Land Reform that runs to a total of 11 pages. The first 3 pages consist of introductory remarks and generalisations concerning land issues that do not say anything that has not been said before and hence fails to add to the critical debate on land reform. In fact this part of the Green Paper seems to set the tone of what is to follow by explaining what needs to be done without providing any indication of how this is to be achieved. Read more
Troubles stem in Mpushini
by Nokuthula Mthimunye, 23 August 2011
The Mpushini community, in Pietermaritzburg is enraged about Simphiwe Majozi who allege to be the King in the area and has been offering the public, sites for R10 000 without the consent of the community members.
When AFRA arrived at Simphiwe Majozi’s house on Sunday 21 August, we were welcomed by a convoy of cars, with people who had come to buy sites.
The community claims to be the rightful owners of the land, they expressed their anger and showed AFRA chunks of sites that have been offered to people.
On the 29th of July a seminar / workshop was conducted under the auspices of the LRLU and ProBono.Org. The latter is an NGO that facilitates the provision of probono (ie free) legal services within the legal profession to deserving indigent persons requiring such services. The two-fold purpose of this seminar / workshop was to update members of the legal profession in regard to the latest developments in terms of land legal issues as well as to act as a launch of a probono scheme for rural areas focusing on land issues. Read more
Landless sit-in at Amajuba Land Reform Offices
19th July 2011
The Association For Rural Advancement condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of police machinery to deal with land issues.
In honouring the true fighting legacy of Nelson Mandela, the planned peaceful sit-in by the landless people of Utrecht, Newcastle and Dannhauser was aimed at securing an audience with senior department official, Director-General Mr Mduduzi Shabane, and the relevant member of the KZN legislature or national parliament. Instead of engaging with the people, the department unleashed the police. Not only was this police action unwarranted, but it also serves to obscure the true issues.
For too long the people of the Amajuba District have been raising their concerns with the office of Land Reform and Rural Development at many levels and at many times, but in vain. It is in our view that such an audience with both senior officials and politicians will ensure accountability which has been lacking thus far within the department. Read more
Statement by the Association for Rural Advancement. Photos by Isaac Sibeko, Land Rights Legal Unit
Nayitsheni Lymon Ndlozi – Uitkoms Farm (Utrecht) vs Johan Landman (Utrecht) - Update
by Isaac Sibeko, Land Rights Legal Unit, 18th July 2011
Following the adjournment of this case on 1 June 2011, on 18 July 2011 this case was again heard at the Utrecht Magistrates’ Court. Mr. Ndlozi, our client, Mr. Johan Landman, the landowner, and his son, were present at the court.
Farm dwellers from Utrecht farms and the Rural Network came in support of Mr. Ndlozi.
When the prosecutor, Mr. Jiyane, addressed the court, he reported on the Director of Public Prosecution’s decision on the matter; he said that Advocate Nel, of the Director of Public Prosecution’s office, had recommended that the landowner, Mr. Landman, be charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, rather than with common assault, as he had been charged previously. Advocate Nel also recommended that the landowner be charged with crimen injuria, adding to the GBH assault charge. Read more
AFRA hosts the UN visit to South Africa by UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food
by Nokuthula Mthimunye, 13 July 2011
From left: Stephen Hulbert (AFRA director), Cishelabhubha, Mrs Phungula and Mrs Mhlanzi (Goudina community), Gaetan Valoqueren, Yoonie Kim and Olivier De Schutter (Special Rapporteur from the UN)
Land Rights NGO, AFRA hosted Olivier De Schutter a Special Rapporteur on the right to food from the UN on Sunday, 10 July 2011.
The purpose of the Special Rapporteur’s visit was to collect information and examine issues relevant to the realization of the right to food in KwaZulu-Natal. Information gathered will be used to provide solutions aimed at the realization of the rights to food and draw practical policy recommendations for the country. Read more
Court issue order in favour of claimants: Cranham vs. Department of Rural Development and Land Reform
Association for Rural Advancement 13 July 2011
Section 17 of Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Acts places a clear obligation on the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to process claims of labour tenants by serving notice on the owner of any claimed land and to publish such application in the Government Gazette.
However, this has not been the case for the Cranham labour tenants who before 2001 lodged an application for the acquisition of land with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform on the farm that they had been using for residential purposes, grazing and growing crops.
From 2001 to date, applicants have made numerous attempts to have their matter resolved, but nothing has been done. Read more
From left: Ms.Thabile Ntuli (Normandien Newcastle), Mr. Musa Zakwe (AFRA deputy Director) and Ms. Zanele Buthelezi (LPM Provincial Secretary)
In the past week AFRA, together with the Landless People’s Movement, attended a workshop on Climate Change held on the 19th–20th May in Cape Town. This workshop was organised by Actionaid South Africa,Oxfam, as well asthe Trust for Community Outreach and Education ( TCOE ). The purpose of the workshop was to raise awareness amongst civil society organisations about issues surrounding climate change and to help organisations and individuals to start taking the issues seriously and to incorporate it into their programmes. It was also aimed at helping participants to gear up for the upcoming 17th United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change also known as CO17, to be held in Durban later this year. Read more
Land claim limbo angers all involved
Shakira Regchand The Mercury Thursday, May 26, 2011
Unresolved land claims in the Gongolo area, situated across Estcourt, Weenen and Mooi River have left claimants and land owners in limbo for 12 years and have hampered the establishment of a game reserve.
About 1000 claimants began lodging their claims in 1999 with the KwaZulu-Natal Land Claims Commission in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, in respect of land they said they had been forcibly removed from during the apartheid era.
The claims were accepted and verified by the commission and a notice to this effect was published in the Government Gazette saying that 40 properties were affected.
However, despite numerous attempts made by the claimants and the land owners to have the matter resolved, nothing has been done. Read more
Re-Opening of the Land Claims Process
Association For Rural Advancement 12 May 2011
The Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA) supports the demands of South Africa’s landless people for the land claims process to be re-opened, and supports the suggestion that this process should include restitution of land lost prior to 1913.
However, AFRA condemns, in the strong possible terms, the manner in which this issue has been handled thus far, creating unnecessary confusion, and raising and then dashing expectations. Read more
