Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
7 March 2024 | 16:00 CAT
2 min read

A University of Cape Town study, spearheaded by Associate Professor of Economics Malcolm Keswell, has unveiled significant findings regarding the rights of redress available to families and communities displaced under apartheid spatial planning.

The study underscores the pivotal role played by South Africa’s constitution and the Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994 in translating these rights into tangible progress for affected families. Led by UCT’s Associate Professor Keswell, the research sheds light on the strides made in addressing the historical injustices inflicted by apartheid-era displacement policies.

Prof Malcolm Keswell told Radio Islam that the restitution programme has been ongoing for 30 years. It was the first piece of legislation passed even before the Constitution was ratified.

The Land Restitution Evaluation Study (LRES), funded by the South African government and the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), conducted by UCT’s Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), has unveiled ground-breaking findings.

The study indicates that the standard restitution settlement award, averaging R200,000, leads to a substantial increase in per-capita monthly consumption by over a third in the long term. Additionally, beneficiaries experience a significant reduction in depression risks, suggesting psychological benefits from restitution.

Keswell emphasised that the restitution process is so complex that it can take years from the time a claim is lodged to the time it is legally settled.

“It took us about two years to come up with a workable design; the study was then officially launched in 2017. Our study, LRES, the first one, was supposed to be representative of the population of all restitution claims that came before the commission, totalling about 80 000 claims,” he added.

Professor Keswell announced that a conference reflecting on both chapters of displacement and redress will convene at UCT from April 16th to 17th, 2024. The event will feature contributions from academic, civil society, and policy-making communities, offering a platform for comprehensive discussions on these critical issues.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Prof Malcolm Keswell from UCT, here.