Land Claims law is a unique and vital area of South African jurisprudence, dealing with the constitutional mandate to restore land or provide equitable redress to persons or communities dispossessed of property after 19 June 1913 as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices. This process is managed through the Land Claims Court, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (the Commission), and the processes defined by the Restitution of Land Rights Act.

Our firm provides comprehensive legal assistance to all parties involved in land claims, including claimant communities, current landowners, and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. We manage the entire restitution process, from lodging initial claims and conducting extensive historical and legal research to negotiating settlements, facilitating expropriation (where necessary), and litigating complex claims before the Land Claims Court. Our goal is to achieve fair, sustainable, and legally sound outcomes that contribute to land reform and justice.

Key areas of our Land Claims expertise include:

• 🔹 Claim Lodging and Verification: Assisting claimant communities or individuals with lodging new claims (where applicable), submitting evidence, and managing the initial verification process by the Commission.
• 🔹 Negotiation and Mediation: Facilitating structured negotiations between claimants, current landowners, and the government to reach a consensual settlement on restitution (land restoration, alternative land, or financial compensation).
• 🔹 Land Claims Court Litigation: Representing parties in complex, contested matters before the Land Claims Court, including disputes over the validity of a claim, identification of beneficiaries, or determination of equitable redress.
• 🔹 Post-Settlement Governance: Advising Communal Property Associations (CPAs) and trusts established for land ownership on effective governance, land management, and compliance issues.
• 🔹 Expert Evidence and Research: Coordinating historical researchers, genealogists, and valuers to compile the necessary evidence required to substantiate or oppose a claim.