After unsuccessfully trying for more than 22 years to lay claim to a portion of SA’s most expensive and prestigious school, labour tenants from the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands are one step closer to becoming land owners.

The constitutional court on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of a land claims court (LCC) order to appoint a special master to oversee claims by families who laboured on farms in lieu of payments and permission to live on a portion of the farm.

“We are very excited. This is a landmark judgment. We have been waiting for it since 2013. It has come at a time when we had lost a lot of hope and a lot of claimants have died, which is a sad thing. It is an emotional day, especially because we are currently mourning the passing of one of the claimants a week ago,” said Association of Rural Advancement (Afra) spokesperson Nokuthula Mthimunye

“For the constitutional court to reinstate a land claims judgment is amazing. More than anything, we are excited that these land claims that were lodged 20 years ago are going to processed and there is going to be a process moving forward. The court has confirmed that these rights must be recognised,” Mthimunye said.