South African Native Title

The progress, or lack thereof, of native title in South Africa since the fall of Apartheid.

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I'm sure many people believe that since Apartheid ended and "democracy" began in South Africa, the land has been given back to the indigenous peoples claiming customary rights to the land. But then they hear news reports of horrific poverty, crime and disease. What could be going wrong?

I wonder if many westerners think to themselves, "Well, that's what happens when you give land back to savages. They don't know what to do with it." I know many say it out loud - I have heard these words spoken too often. I have also heard self-determination blamed, and framed as an apocalyptic event to be avoided at all costs - "Just look at South Africa. They got their autonomy, and the place has been destroyed."

People may be shocked that the dismantling of Apartheid included the promise to return only 30% of South Africa to indigenous traditional owners, through a complicated land claim process.

How complicated? Well, so complicated that hardly any of the claims have yet been processed, all these years later, despite constant lobbying from traditional land owners.

So clearly, people are dying, fighting and starving in South Africa due to a lack of Native Title and true autonomy.