A mother and her child walk through the demolished houses in an informal settlement in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa 29 November 2012.
JOHANNESBURG – In 1913, with the stroke of a pen, millions of South African&39;s lost their land. With the return of democracy, dispossessed black South Africans were promised that this injustice would be addressed.
Part 1: Tracing the footsteps of Sol Plaatje
Sol Plaatje on his bicycle travelling across South Africa in the early 1900s takes us on a historical journey of land dispossession.
He records the pain and the loss as black South Africans lost everything with the stroke of a pen.
A century later, his great grandson Daniel reflects on what is being done to reverse this injustice.
Part 2: Political dilemmas facing land reform
In February this year, President Jacob Zuma encouraged the National House of Traditional Leaders to find good lawyers and take advantage of the recently passed Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill.
For those who missed the 1998 deadline to lodge a land claim, the cut-off date has now been extended to 2019, but this has created a number of political, cultural and economic dilemmas.
Near Babanango in Northern Kwazulu-Natal, the people of KwaQanqatho, lodged a restitution claim in 1998 for land they lost in the 1980s when they were forcibly removed.
Government says it is still in the research phase. In the meantime a bigger land claim is underway. It is rumoured that King Goodwill Zwelithini wishes to build a new palace on the same land - his eighth.
Watch this feature in the video player above or catch it on DSTV Channel 403 on the following days:
Monday 20 October 2014 - 17:30
Tuesday 21 October 2014 - 14:30 | 20:30
Wednesday 22 October 2014 - 19:30
Thursday 23 October 2014 - 15:00
Friday 24 October 2014 - 10:30
Saturday 25 October 2014 - 17:00
Sunday 26 October 2014 - 11:00
