A Historical Analysis of Colonial and Apartheid Legacies on Land Ownership: The Case of Ndlovukazi (Lesseyton), Komani, South Africa

Colonial and apartheid legacies have profoundly shaped land ownership, land use management, and rural spatiality in South Africa. In Ndlovukazi (also known as Lesseyton) Village, located outside Komani (formerly Queenstown) within the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality in the Eastern Province, the rural patterns that emerged after 1994 remain closely linked to these historical legacies. This paper provides a historical analysis of colonial-apartheid influences on land ownership and land use management, as well as a perspective on recent developments in rural spatial trends in Ndlovukazi Village. These historical dynamics are examined within the broader context of South Africa’s post-1994 land justice, rural spatiality, land use management and on-going challenges of racialised land ownership in South Africa.