After 20 years of democracy, and 20 years of market-led land reform in South Africa, land and agrarian questions remain unresolved. This in many ways is evidenced by the increasingly rising discontent among landless people and the poor; ongoing “service delivery protests”, the farm worker “uprisings” in the Western Cape, Marikana shootings, the housing struggles waged by Abahlali Basemjondolo and the emergence of former ANC Youth League President, Julius Malema and his Ecomic Freedom Fighters who are now articulating grassroots struggles demanding economic justice. These expressions of frustration and demands for social justice and transformation have been met by violent repression by the post-apartheid state and indicate the urgent need to address the process of transformation in South Africa. In this two- day conference we reflect on ongoing debates on the meanings of land, agriculture, and land- based livelihoods in post-apartheid society.

Event type: Conference
Date of event: Thursday, August 14, 2014 to Friday, August 15, 2014
Venue: Centre for African Studies Gallery, Upper Campus, UCT