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Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada
Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613790877515776 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Bester, Carla |
| author2 | Pienaar, Juanita |
| author_browse | Bester, Carla Pienaar, Juanita |
| author_facet | Pienaar, Juanita Bester, Carla |
| author_sort | Bester, Carla |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134520 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:45.229Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134520 Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada Bester, Carla Pienaar, Juanita Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Private Law. San (African people) -- Land tenure -- South Africa Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Indigenous peoples -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa Indigenous peoples -- Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- Australia Indigenous peoples -- Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- Canada UCTD Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Bester, C. 2025. Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa: A legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/2833c399-0c09-4cec-831c-207eebd10d3d ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis provides a comparative analysis of indigenous land rights, focusing on the San people of South Africa in relation to international legal frameworks, and two foreign jurisdictions, Australia and Canada, which have incorporated legal protection of Indigenous Peoples. It examines the historical dispossession of the San, the impact of colonialism and Apartheid, and the blind spots of land reform to address their claims. By situating South Africa’s land reform efforts within a global context, this study highlights both the parallels and divergences in pre-colonial recognition of land rights and restitution policies. A key focus is the South African land reform program, specifically its restitution, tenure reform, and broadening access sub-programmes. The study critically assesses the 19 June 1913 cut-off date, which excludes pre-colonial land claims, and evaluates landmark cases such as the ‡Khomani San land claim and Richtersveld. Australia and Canada often serve as comparable jurisdictions to South Africa, for various reasons, including formative similarities amongst these jurisdictions, such as British colonialism, a parliamentary system of government, multiculturalism and a history of mistreatment and oppression of indigenous populations. Unlike South Africa, Australia and Canada have formally recognised and restored the indigenous title of its first inhabitants. The study examines the extent to which each jurisdiction has achieved historical justice and the challenges they face. It finds that the reasoning underlying progress in Australia and Canada is equally applicable to South African society, namely redressing past wrongs. Drawing on these comparisons, the thesis argues for greater policy flexibility, enhanced indigenous representation, and sustainable economic integration to ensure meaningful land restitution for the San. Ultimately, it concludes that South Africa’s legal framework, though well-intentioned, requires significant adaptation to achieve equitable and lasting recognition of San land rights. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis bied ’n vergelykende ontleding van inheemse grondregte, met spesifieke fokus op die San-volk van Suid-Afrika binne die konteks van internasionale regsraamwerke, met spesifieke verwysing na twee buitelandse jurisdiksies, Australië en Kanada, waar regtelike beskerming van inheemse grondregte reeds ingelyf is. Dit ondersoek die historiese ontneming van die San, die impak van kolonialisme en Apartheid, asook die tekortkominge van grondhervorming in die aanspreek van hul eise. Deur Suid-Afrika se grondhervormingspogings binne ’n globale konteks te plaas, belig hierdie studie beide die ooreenkomste asook die verskille in voor-koloniale erkenning van grondregte en restitusiebeleide. ’n Kernfokus is die Suid-Afrikaanse grondhervormingsprogram, spesifiek die restitusie-, grondbeheerhervormings- en toegangsverbredings- of herverdeling-subprogramme. Die studie beoordeel krities die afsnydatum van 19 Junie 1913, wat voor-koloniale grondeise uitsluit, en reflekteer oor deurslaggewende regspraak soos die ‡Khomani San-grondeis en Richtersveld-saak. Australië en Kanada dien dikwels as vergelykbare jurisdiksies vir Suid-Afrika om verskeie redes, insluitend formatiewe ooreenkomste soos Britse kolonialisme, ’n parlementêre regeringstelsel, multikulturalisme en ’n geskiedenis van mishandeling en onderdrukking van inheemse bevolkings. Anders as Suid-Afrika het Australië en Kanada egter die inheemse titel van hul eerste bevolkings formeel erken en hul regte herstel. Die studie ondersoek in watter mate elke jurisdiksie historiese geregtigheid bereik het en watter uitdagings hulle in die gesig staar. Dit bevind dat die onderliggende regsredenasie vir vordering in Australië en Kanada ewe toepaslik is op die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing, naamlik die regstel van historiese ongeregtighede. Met hierdie vergelykings as grondslag, bepleit die tesis groter beleidsbuigsaamheid, verbeterde inheemse verteenwoordiging en volhoubare ekonomiese integrasie om betekenisvolle grondrestitusie vir die San te bewerkstellig. Uiteindelik kom dit tot die gevolgtrekking dat Suid-Afrika se regsinfrastruktuur, hoewel goedbedoeld, aansienlike aanpassings verg om billike en blywende erkenning van Sangrondregte te bewerkstellig. Masters 2025-12-12T06:36:13Z 2025-12-12T06:36:13Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134520 en Stellenbosch University 210 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | San (African people) -- Land tenure -- South Africa Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Indigenous peoples -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa Indigenous peoples -- Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- Australia Indigenous peoples -- Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- Canada UCTD Bester, Carla Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada |
| title | Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada |
| title_full | Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada |
| title_short | Exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the San communities in South Africa : a legal comparative perspective with respect to Australia and Canada |
| title_sort | exploring the recognition and restoration of land rights for the san communities in south africa a legal comparative perspective with respect to australia and canada |
| topic | San (African people) -- Land tenure -- South Africa Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Indigenous peoples -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa Indigenous peoples -- Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- Australia Indigenous peoples -- Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- Canada UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134520 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bestercarla exploringtherecognitionandrestorationoflandrightsforthesancommunitiesinsouthafricaalegalcomparativeperspectivewithrespecttoaustraliaandcanada |