Many decades later, the colonial and apartheid impact of land dispossession lingers on and continues to define the current skewed patterns of land ownership and access. Legislative measures, such as the Natives Land Act of 1913 and the Group Areas Act of 1950, facilitated the removal of many Black individuals from their ancestral lands, depriving them of their inherent rights to land ownership in their native country.

Water is a fundamental component of human dignity and a constitutional right rather than a service, writes Deputy Government Spokesperson, William Baloyi.

South Africa observes National Water Month in March at a time when frustration over the unreliability of water supply has made headlines.

South Africa in 2026 is a far cry from the country before 1994. Things such as human rights for all which now stand as one of the pillars of our democracy were unheard of for the majority. The apartheid state systematically worked to deprive black people, and enforced laws to maintain the status quo of white dominance throughout society.

By Andrea Naicker