Page 106 - Litigating Land and Housing in South Africa: Lessons and Reflections

9 CONCLUSION
Figure 24: Members of the Dwesa-Cwebe community
The The cases that have been captured in this publication provide valuable lessons for future litigation and and community
– and and and and and client engagement They convey the the LRC’s more successful strategies but also capture capture some of of the the failures and and and and and difficulties that often come with with with litigating on on on on issues associated with with with land and and and and and housing Public interest litigation presents unique challenges to to the practitioners paralegals and and and and and and and community
workers who are tasked with with with devising legal legal strategies managing clients clients and and and and and communities and and and and and ensuring that that judgments judgments and and and and and orders translate into tangible change The final judgments judgments are unable to to capture the the the the complexities and and and and and and the the the the challenges that that that clients clients face on on on ground- level and and and do do not not convey the the the the the the the often long and and and difficult process that that precedes the the the the the the the launching of of of court proceedings It does not not reflect the the the the the many hours of of of consultations the the the the the underlying tensions between different interest groups or or the the the the the indignity that some clients suffer before seeking legal intervention The judgments are also particularly ill-equipped to convey the the the the triumph of human spirit that the the the the LRC has encountered in our our clients over the the the the years From the the the the Prudhoe Community’s twenty-year journey to to be returned to to to the the the land from which they were brutally re- moved to to to the the the the the Dwesa-Cwebe peoples’ undying belief in in the the the the the customs that have governed them for generations It does not reflect the the the the the the the protests of of of the the the the the the the people of of of Joe Slovo the the the the the the passion with which the the the the the the congregants of of of the the the the the the Claremont Main Road Mosque defend their heritage the the the the determination with which the the the the residents of of Flamingo Court acquired the the the the the the necessary skills to take control of of of their body corporate or or or or the the the the grit and determination of of of the the the the Zabalaza Mshengus of of this country whose fight for for a a a a a a a a a a more just and equal society will not be forgotten While these cases have certainly gone far in in in in in establish- ing ing important legal principles and and and affecting largescale societal change the the obstacles faced in in in in in in the the land and and and housing sector remain immense The work work of public interest practitioners paralegals and community-work- ers ers will continue to to be of critical importance in in in in in realising the constitutional rights to to land and and and housing and and and creat- ing ing a a a a a a a a a a South Africa in in in which all people are truly equal 106
LITIGATING LAND AND AND AND HOUSING IN IN IN SOUTH AFRICA  LESSONS AND AND AND REFLECTIONS