Objectives of the Unit

• To provide legal service to rural people whose human rights and land rights are being violated or threatened.
• Make legal system accessible to the poor and landless, in particular to farm dwellers, women and children.
• Focus where possible on public interest litigation relevant to legislation and policy related to land issues.

Main activities

• Informing and advising farm dwellers and others of their land rights.
• Assisting in negotiations with land owners to reach acceptable solutions to land conflicts.
• Opposing eviction orders in court.
• Making inputs to government provincially and nationally on tenure, restitution and other laws which impact on land rights with a particular emphasis on ensuring the needs of the rural poor, farmers and rural women are considered in relevant laws.
• Taking land claims directly to the Land Claims Court and representing claimants in case referred to court by the Commission for the Restitution of Land Rights. Using cases taken to court to set important precedents that will influence the application of the Restitution of Land Rights Act. Using the lessons from these cases to support inputs on policy.
• Providing legal advice in negotiations regarding the settlement of land claims and land disputes.
• Carrying out private prosecutions of land owners for illegal evictions in terms of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act.
• Defending farm dwellers and NGO workers faced with trespass charges and other threats.
• Taking up cases of impact litigation that will clarify points of law or set precedents that can have a wider impact on the implementation of land reform and land rights.
• Bringing civil claims for damages in cases where members of the target group have suffered material loss due to the abuse of their land or other human rights.
• Assisting in the registration of legal entities for land ownership, including preparing constitutions.
• Proving legal support to advice offices regarding land reform and land rights issues.
• Working closely with the other Nkuzi field staff in order to provide legal support to their projects.

Target group

Socially and economically marginalized women, peasants, farm workers and the landless of rural communities in Limpopo and Gauteng Provinces