This book offers a historical analysis of the embattled structures of rural local governance in South Africa, with specific reference to the role of traditional authorities in Xhalanga in the... Show moreThis book offers a historical analysis of the embattled structures of rural local governance in South Africa, with specific reference to the role of traditional authorities in Xhalanga in the Eastern Cape. More specifically, the book illustrates how at least in the Xhalanga district chieftainship was contested from the establishment of the district in 1865 to the advent of democracy in South Africa. Two related themes are addressed: the question of the survival of traditional authorities up to the postcolonial/apartheid era and the question of how traditional authorities derive their authority and legitimacy. The book shows that the survival of traditional authorities can be linked directly to their control of the land allocation process, rather than popular support. The issue of the legitimacy of traditional authorities, especially in a democracy, is investigated against the background of the tension in the 1993 Interim Constitution and the 1996 Constitution, which recognized the institution of traditional leadership. These constitutions, along with emerging post-1994 legislation, advocated a form of democracy that was based on the liberal principles of representation at all levels of government, including local government, while, at the same time, recognizing a hereditary institution of traditional leadership for rural residents. [ASC Leiden abstract]. Show less
Among the many immigrant groups that have settled in the Netherlands, migrants recently arrived from Ghana have been perceived by the Dutch State as especially problematic. Explicit measures have... Show moreAmong the many immigrant groups that have settled in the Netherlands, migrants recently arrived from Ghana have been perceived by the Dutch State as especially problematic. Explicit measures have been taken to investigate marriages of Ghanaians, as these appeared to be an avenue by which many acquired access to the Dutch welfare State. While the Dutch government tightened its immigration policies, many Ghanaian Pentecostal churches were emerging in the Ghanaian immigrant communities. An important function of these churches is to officiate over marriages; marriages that are perceived as lawful and righteous in the eyes of the migrant community but nonetheless do not have any legal basis as far as the Dutch State is concerned. This contribution explores why the Ghanaian community attributes great moral significance to the marriages that are taking place within their Pentecostal churches. It investigates the changing meaning of the functions of Pentecostal churches in Ghana and in the Netherlands by distinguishing civil morality from civic responsibility. It seeks to explore how, in both contexts, legitimacy is created as well as contested in the face of prevailing State-civil society relations. This exploration indicates why, in both situations, Pentecostalism is unlikely to develop into a civic religion in the full sense of the term. [Journal abstract] Show less
In dit artikel geeft de auteur een antropologische reflectie op verzoening, gebaseerd op zijn onderzoekservaring in Afrika. Hij begint met de voorwaarden voor en kenmerken van verzoening en de... Show moreIn dit artikel geeft de auteur een antropologische reflectie op verzoening, gebaseerd op zijn onderzoekservaring in Afrika. Hij begint met de voorwaarden voor en kenmerken van verzoening en de betekenis van de tijdsdimensie daarin. Daarna beschrijft hij de problematiek van verzoening en conflict in segmentaire, hoofdloze samenlevingen en van verzoening en recht in meer gecentraliseerde samenlevingen. Tenslotte vestigt hij de aandacht op de rol van ritueel en therapie. Hij betoogt, dat Afrikaanse samenlevingen buitengewoon effectieve middelen hebben ontwikkeld, in de juridische, therapeutische en rituele sfeer, om verzoening voor te bereiden en tot stand te brengen. Grenzen aan verzoening worden gevormd door hekserij, het tegendeel van verzoening, en het feit dat verzoening wel adequaat is voor het beheersen van conflicten op het niveau van de dorpssamenleving, maar niet op regionaal, nationaal en internationaal niveau. Show less
This chapter explores the possibilities and limits of law and institutions as instruments for generating changes in environmental behaviour. First, an overview of the different schools of thought... Show moreThis chapter explores the possibilities and limits of law and institutions as instruments for generating changes in environmental behaviour. First, an overview of the different schools of thought on law and natural resources is presented. It appears that the overall trend with regard to land and common property resources is orientated towards: 1) a bottom-up/sociological approach to the law-making process, and 2) devolution of powers to local communities in a setting of comanagement. Next, the available case studies - particularly from Africa - are examined, with a focus on two issues: security of tenure and the debate on decentralization. Special attention is paid to some recent experiences with specific forms of comanagement, notably the 'Gestion de terroir' approach and the contractual approach. Finally, the relative effectiveness of legal and institutional incentives for local environmental management are discussed. Show less
This thesis gives an overview of the Maasai livestock economy as it has developed between 1890 and 1990. Particularly, it analyses the processes and policies of land use and landownership of the... Show moreThis thesis gives an overview of the Maasai livestock economy as it has developed between 1890 and 1990. Particularly, it analyses the processes and policies of land use and landownership of the Maasai pastoral areas in Kajiado district, Kenya, from the arrival of the Europeans until the recent massive individualization of land tenure. The loss of grazing pastures due to increased cultivation, the establishment of game parks and mineral exploitation is said to undermine the livestock economy of Maasai pastoralists in Kajiado district. Furthermore, the recent subdivision of group ranches into too small individual holdings, it is feared, will result in the selling of land to outsiders. This study examines the outcome of this process as well as the Maasai response of economic intensification and diversification, including increasing the productivity of the herd, cultivation, wage employment, outmigration, etc. Fieldwork for the study was carried out in 1988-1989. Show less
The National Land Act of 1964, designed to unify legislation concerning land, formally abolished the various local systems of land law in Senegal. The implementation of the various urban land... Show moreThe National Land Act of 1964, designed to unify legislation concerning land, formally abolished the various local systems of land law in Senegal. The implementation of the various urban land regulations and the efforts to restructure and regulate the spontaneous settlements which were started in Ziguinchor, the capital of the Casamance, in the 1970s resulted in a great number of urban land conflicts. This paper reviews Senegalese law relating to urban land. It explores the handling by the formal judicial and administrative institutions of urban land disputes and the conceptions and attitudes of the urbanites involved in these conflicts. The deliberate and systematic ignoring in the new national land law of the actual urban situation (more or less characterized by the persistence of - accommodated - traditional customs and values) seems to have contributed to the problems in the implementation of formal land law in Ziguinchor. The basic material for this paper has been drawn from court records and the minutes of special administrative arbitration commissions for review of land disputes. A main problem appears to be that land disputes submitted to court are handled by the criminal judge, although the 'defendants' do not feel in the least criminal. Besides, the material shows a difference between the general and formalistic decisions of the judge, and the more concrete solutions of the arbitration commissions that were set up to process the great number of urban land disputes. Show less
Hesseling, G.S.C.M.; Sypkens Smit, M.; Miginiac, C. 1983
Pendant l'année 1982 et une partie de l'année 1983 l'auteur a effectué une recherche au Sénégal avec la collaboration de M. Sypkens Smit, anthropologue. Le thème central de la recherche était l... Show morePendant l'année 1982 et une partie de l'année 1983 l'auteur a effectué une recherche au Sénégal avec la collaboration de M. Sypkens Smit, anthropologue. Le thème central de la recherche était l'interaction entre les différents systèmes de droit foncier. Le présent rapport relate la phase préparatoire de la recherche, ainsi que les activités des deux chercheurs sur le terrain, en Basse Casamance. Le chapitre sur "Les aspects anthropologiques du droit foncier: le cas d'un village diola" est de la main de M. Sypkens Smit. Show less
Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal, E.A.B. van; Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal-Baerends, E.A. van 1982
Cette étude aborde la question de l'acquisition de droits sur la terre, tels que ceux-ci ont été mis au grand jour au cours du développement et du réglement d'un litige portant sur l'utilisation d... Show moreCette étude aborde la question de l'acquisition de droits sur la terre, tels que ceux-ci ont été mis au grand jour au cours du développement et du réglement d'un litige portant sur l'utilisation d'une parcelle située dans la ville de N'zara, chef-lieu de la circonscription de Mango, dans le nord du Togo. Après une présentation détaillée des antécédents, qui expose en particulier les relations sociales unissant les deux parties (le propriétaire et l'utilisateur du terrain), les auteurs dévrivent la manière dont le litige est réglé, une première fois par l'autorité coutumière suprême de la localité (le Chef Supérieur), en 1971, et une deuxième fois par le Juge de Paix, en 1972. Cette description est suivie d'un aperçu des événements locaux qui se déroulent jusque'en 1978 et qui influent sur l'évolution de litige. Dans le situation présente, on voit l'application de différents systèmes juridiques par différentes instances judiciaires qui représentent divers systèmes de droit, et l'emploi sélectif de moyens judiciaires par les justiciables. Show less
Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal-Baerends, E.A.; Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal, E.A.B. van 1981
Les auteurs présentent leurs idées sur le sens de la conciliation dans le cadre du réglement d'un litige, afin de poser ainsi les premiers jalons d'une éventuelle étude comparative des procédures... Show moreLes auteurs présentent leurs idées sur le sens de la conciliation dans le cadre du réglement d'un litige, afin de poser ainsi les premiers jalons d'une éventuelle étude comparative des procédures de conciliation dans diverses sociétés. Show less
Deze verhandeling beoogt een vergelijking tussen twee soorten rechtspraak in Noord-Togo, het westers georiënteerd recht en een verscheidenheid van plaatselijk verschillend volksrecht. De... Show moreDeze verhandeling beoogt een vergelijking tussen twee soorten rechtspraak in Noord-Togo, het westers georiënteerd recht en een verscheidenheid van plaatselijk verschillend volksrecht. De rechtspraak vormt een duidelijk spanningsveld tussen een van "boven af" of "centraal" gedirigeerde hervormingsdrang en een van "onder af" of van "binnen uit" lokaal gedirigeerde behoudzucht. Kernstuk van de vergelijking is een uitvoerige beschrijving en analyse van een negental gelijksoortige geschillen (huwelijk en aanverwante kwesties). Hieraan vooraf gaat een uiteenzetting van enkele aspecten van de sociaal-familiale en sociaal-politieke organisatie en van het huwelijk bij de Anufòm en een deel over de juridische grondslagen inzake het volksrecht in Togo. Show less
