Property Rights Protection and Land Markets in the Context of Juridical Gaps between Municipal and SADC Systems

Philani L Ndlovu; Amos Saurombe

doi:10.25159/2522-3062/7855

Authors

Philani L Ndlovu University of South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9763-148X
Amos Saurombe University of South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9393-0789

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2522-3062/7855

Keywords:

Land markets, property rights, aboriginal title, terra nullius, harmonisation, regulatory priorities, African customary rights, common law, municipal law, SADC law

Abstract

The protection of property rights is a sensitive issue in the SADC, leading to protracted legal battles and contestations. This article explores the factors engendering the present configurations of property relations in three selected states in the region. The intention of this article is to identify the factors necessary for the development of land markets and to analyse secondary sources on themes, arguments and factors shaping market development. Interrogating the major themes in the prevailing debates, this article identifies African customary rights as an important factor in the development of markets, by acknowledging the significance of the harmonisation of property laws in the region. Since there are cross-juridical gaps between the regulatory goals of states and those of regional communities, the article identifies limitations and opportunities associated with efforts to harmonise the law. Furthermore, proposing measures to narrow the juridical gaps between the municipal and SADC systems, and presenting the idea of a regional protocol as a prospective device to ensure legal convergence.

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Author Biography

Philani L Ndlovu, University of South Africa

Professor of International Economic Law

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