Omgewingspligtigheid en landelike grondrestitusie
Date
2024-03
Authors
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ondersoek in hierdie verhandeling is tweeledig: Eerstens word aangevoer dat die Suid-Afrikaanse grondhervormingsreg ‘n tydvak van dwingende verandering betree het. ‘n Bedeling wat groter skakeling tussen veral grondrestitusie en ander regsbelange behels, word in die vooruitsig gestel. Betreffende grondrestitusie, word ‘n bedeling verwag wat noodsaaklike verpligtinge jeens en verbande met die omgewing sterker benadruk. Daar word hipotetiseer en bewys dat ‘n regsgrondslag hiervoor in die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet van 1996 bestaan. ʼn Leerstellige verband tussen die omgewingsmensereg in artikel 24 van die Grondwet en bepaald artikel 25(7), synde die restitusieklousule, kan uit hierdie regsgrondslag afgelei word. Tweedens en op sterkte van die eerste been van die ondersoek, word ‘n studieprotokol ontwerp en uitgevoer ten einde die mate te toets waartoe die bestaande landelike restitusiereg (soos in die Wet op die Herstel van Grondregte 22 van 1994 en in regspraak vervat) omgewingsregtelike belange te pligte te staan. Die eerste been van die ondersoek bou voort op drie leerstellings onderliggend aan die Handves van Menseregte, naamlik niehiërargiese fundamentele regte, die interafhanklikheid van fundamentele regsnorme en die sogenaamde “een regstelsel” beginsel. Hierdie leerstellings lewer die regverdiging op vir ‘n werkbegrip, “omgewingspligtigheid”, wat die mate waartoe ‘n regsbron die omgewing te pligte staan, beskryf. ‘n Afgebakende begrip van omgewingspligtigheid word aangewend om ‘n studieprotokol te ontwerp en te stuur, gebaseer op die “begronde teorie werkswyse”, ‘n metode ontleen uit die kwalitatiewe empiriese regsleer. Die studieprotokol word uitgevoer in drie oorhoofse stappe: Eerstens word ‘n keurstel eerste beginsels, teen die regsteoretiese agtergrond van omgewingspligtigheid, maatstafmatig uit die Nasionale Wet op Omgewingsbestuur 107 van 1998 gekeur. Daarna word die landelike restitusiereg, vernaamlik die Wet op die Herstel van Grondregte 22 van 1994, ontleed en voorlopige koppelvlakke met die omgewingsreg uitgewys. Dan word die omgewingsregtelike keurstel eerste beginsels weer aangewend om konkrete bron-items uit die omgewingswetgewing te lig. Die studie sluit af deur die omgewingsregtelike bron-items te gebruik om die omgewingspligtigheidstoetsing van koppelvlakke uit die landelike restitusiereg mee uit te voer. Daar word bepaal dat die bestaande landelike restitusiereg ‘n betekenisvolle vlak van omgewingspligtigheid openbaar. ʼn Aantal aanbevelings word gemaak ter verbetering van die omgewingspligtigheidsposisie van die landelike restitusiereg. Ten slotte word die Wet op Ruimtelike Beplanning en Grondgebruiksbestuur 16 van 2013 kortliks bespreek as ‘n moontlik bruikbare koppelaarstatuut, waarmee leemtes en losser koppelings tussen die omgewingsreg en landelike restitusiereg tot ‘n beperkte mate aangespreek kan word.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The investigation in this thesis is twofold: First, it is argued that South African land reform law has entered a period of compelling change, envisioning a greater connection between land restitution and other legal interests. Regarding land restitution, a dispensation is expected that places stronger emphasis on essential obligations toward and connections with the environment. It is hypothesized and demonstrated that a legal basis for this vision exists in the South African Constitution of 1996. A doctrinal connection between environmental human rights as contained in section 24 of the Constitution and specifically section 25(7), the restitution clause, can be derived from this aforementioned legal foundation. Secondly, based on the first leg of the investigation, a research protocol is designed and executed to test the extent to which existing rural restitution law (as contained in the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994 and jurisprudence) aligns with environmental legal obligations. The first leg of the investigation builds on three doctrines underlying the Bill of Rights, namely non-hierarchical fundamental rights, the interdependence of fundamental human rights norms, and the so-called "single system of law" principle. These doctrines justify the introduction of a new terminological concept, “omgewingspligtigheid” (translatable from the original Afrikaans as “environmental obligatedness”) which describes the extent to which a source of law imposes duties in relation to the environment. A delimited concept of environmental obligatedness is applied to design and guide a research protocol based on the “grounded theory method”, an approach applied in qualitative empirical legal research. The research protocol is conducted in three overall steps: First, a select set of first principles, measured against the legal-theoretical background of environmental obligatedness, is drawn from the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998. Next, the law of rural land restitution, specifically as contained in the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994, is analysed and preliminary interfaces with environmental law are identified. Thereafter, the select set of first principles are reapplied to isolate concrete source items from environmental legislation. The study concludes by using the source items drawn from environmental legislation, to test interfaces in the rural restitution law for their measure of environmental obligatedness. It is determined that the existing law of rural land restitution reveals a significant level of environmental obligatedness. A number of recommendations are made to help improve the environmental obligatedness position of the law of rural land restitution. Finally, the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 is briefly discussed as a potentially useful bridging statute with which to address, to a limited extent, the gaps and more tenuous connections between environmental law and rural land restitution law.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The investigation in this thesis is twofold: First, it is argued that South African land reform law has entered a period of compelling change, envisioning a greater connection between land restitution and other legal interests. Regarding land restitution, a dispensation is expected that places stronger emphasis on essential obligations toward and connections with the environment. It is hypothesized and demonstrated that a legal basis for this vision exists in the South African Constitution of 1996. A doctrinal connection between environmental human rights as contained in section 24 of the Constitution and specifically section 25(7), the restitution clause, can be derived from this aforementioned legal foundation. Secondly, based on the first leg of the investigation, a research protocol is designed and executed to test the extent to which existing rural restitution law (as contained in the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994 and jurisprudence) aligns with environmental legal obligations. The first leg of the investigation builds on three doctrines underlying the Bill of Rights, namely non-hierarchical fundamental rights, the interdependence of fundamental human rights norms, and the so-called "single system of law" principle. These doctrines justify the introduction of a new terminological concept, “omgewingspligtigheid” (translatable from the original Afrikaans as “environmental obligatedness”) which describes the extent to which a source of law imposes duties in relation to the environment. A delimited concept of environmental obligatedness is applied to design and guide a research protocol based on the “grounded theory method”, an approach applied in qualitative empirical legal research. The research protocol is conducted in three overall steps: First, a select set of first principles, measured against the legal-theoretical background of environmental obligatedness, is drawn from the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998. Next, the law of rural land restitution, specifically as contained in the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994, is analysed and preliminary interfaces with environmental law are identified. Thereafter, the select set of first principles are reapplied to isolate concrete source items from environmental legislation. The study concludes by using the source items drawn from environmental legislation, to test interfaces in the rural restitution law for their measure of environmental obligatedness. It is determined that the existing law of rural land restitution reveals a significant level of environmental obligatedness. A number of recommendations are made to help improve the environmental obligatedness position of the law of rural land restitution. Finally, the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 is briefly discussed as a potentially useful bridging statute with which to address, to a limited extent, the gaps and more tenuous connections between environmental law and rural land restitution law.
Description
Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.