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Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) Research Seminar
The meaning of democracy in post-1994 rural South Africa: Policy implications of research conducted in the Eastern Cape and its impact on the Xhalanga District Court judgement – 27 August 2015
Department of Science and Technology (DST)
Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
University of Cape Town (UCT)
The second seminar in a two-part series brought together stakeholders in the rural local government and land sector, which included amongst others, academics and researchers, representatives from government departments such as the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, non-governmental organisations, local government entities such as the Rural Democratisation Task Team in the Sakhisizwe Local Municipality, rural social movements such as Zingisa Education and Development Organisation (Amathole District Municipality), Masifunde Education and Development Organisation (Ndlambe municipal area), the Amadiba Crisis Committee (Mbizana area), as well as representatives from the Congress of Traditional Leadership of South Africa (CONTRALESA). It will provide a forum for the various stakeholders to engage constructively on pertinent questions related to the issues of traditional leadership, democracy, and land, and the policy implications these possibly have. Using the case of the Xhalanga District and the role that research played in the court judgement mentioned above, issues that could possibly be addressed include the following:
  • What are the policy implications of the court judgement, especially given the fact that there are already in office headmen who were not elected; what becomes of these headmen?
  • If headmen are elected, what become of municipal councillors who are also elected?
  • Are we heading for a situation of ‘two bulls in one kraal’, if so, how do we deal with the spill over that result from this?
The programme and presentations can be downloaded here. The workshop report and other documentation will be circulated as soon as they are finalised. Please submit any relevant documentation to for upload onto the Policy Action Network website. Subscribe to PAN and join the discussion.
Panel discussion: Policy implications of research conducted in the Eastern Cape and its impact on theXhalanga District Court judgement
Traditional leadership perspective on the Xhalanga judgement
Prince Zolile Burns- Ncamashe Deputy Chair Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders
The presentation can be downloaded at the link above.
Outcomes and implications of colonialisation on space and demography with special reference to the Eastern Cape
Mr Naboliti Hani, Cooperative governance and traditional Affairs in Eastern Cape
This presentation focused on policy implications of research conducted in the Eastern Cape and its implications for the Xhalanga District Court judgement. It sought to stimulate a discourse on outcomes of colonisation on current institutions and a debate on the inadequacy of the South African response to colonial dispossession and deprivation, and reasons for the rising tide of disaffection, land invasions, evictions, failed land reforms, instability, protests, etc. It aimed to revive honest and critical analysis and encourage debate on the centrality of land and better spatial design to the development of people and the achievement of the vision of ‘A better life for all’.
Discussant:
Professor LungisileNtsebeza: Professor and the holder of the AC Jordan Chair in African Studies at the University of Cape Town. Holder of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Research Chair (SARChi) in Land Reform and Democracy in South Africa
The impact of policy on the community
Ms NomvusoNophothe, Community representative , Transkei and Mr. W. Pamana, Community representative , Ciskei
Closure and the way ahead
Dr TsakaneNgomane The Presidency, Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation / WORKSHOP REFERENCES
Claassens, A. (2014). Communal land’, property rights and traditional leadership. Retrieved from:
Meer, T., & Campbell, C. (2007). Traditional leadership in democratic South Africa. Retrieved from:
Ntsebeza, L. (2005). Democracy compromised: Chiefs and the politics of the land in South Africa. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers.
Available through HSRC Press, find more information here
Ntsebeza, L. (n.d.). Rural governance and citizenship in post-1994 South Africa: Democracy compromised? Retrieved from:
Ntsebeza, L., & Hall, R. (2007). The land question in South Africa: The challenge of transformation and redistribution. (Eds). Cape Town: HSRC Press.

Premier of the Eastern Cape and others vsNtamo and others - Transcript – High Court of South Africa (Eastern Cape Local Division – Bhisho). Case No 169/14 [2015].

Read chapters 1,3,6,13 of The promise of land: Undoing a century of dispossession in South Africa (June 2013)

Or order the book from Jacana here
Twitter: #ruraldemocracy
The HSRC seminar series is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The views and opinions expressed therein as well as findings and statements of the seminar series do not necessarily represent the views of DST.