Land Matters and Rural Development: 2023

The most important land-related developments in 2023 are set out. Interesting and important developments took place within the policy, legislative and case law contexts. In this regard, the urgent need for land—suitable for residential and agricultural purposes—was again underscored. Unlawful occupation of land and corresponding eviction within urban areas continued, underscoring the need for policy initiatives like the Draft White Paper for Human Settlements. In the context of rural areas, the eviction of occupiers on farmland continued. The note deals with redistribution, restitution and tenure reform developments in the land reform arena, coupled with developments relating to new courts, deeds and registries, housing generally and traditional and Khoi-San authority constructs.