Through the Lens of International Law: Framing South African Eviction Paradigm as a Model for Namibia’s Domestic Eviction Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2522-3062/19731Keywords:
evictions, homelessness, housing, alternative accommodation, property rightsAbstract
Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) read together with the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) General Comment 7, protects occupiers against forced evictions and safeguards the right to adequate housing. Yet, despite Namibia’s status as a State Party to the ICESCR, its domestic eviction laws fall short of these protections, leaving many evictees homeless in the aftermath of eviction. This article argues that South African law offers a comprehensive eviction framework that Namibia could adopt as a model. Article 2(1) of the ICESCR read with CESCR General Comment 7, requires States Parties to develop legislative measures to realise the right to adequate housing under Article 11(1) of the ICESCR. This article positions South Africa’s jurisprudence under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, as a domestic legislative framework that gives effect to Articles 2(1) and 11(1) of the ICESCR, and which Namibia could draw upon in formulating eviction legislation consistent with international standards.
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© Published by the Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law, University of South Africa and Unisa Press.
Accepted 2026-02-09
Published 2026-03-13
