Land is a highly contested issue, however rural communities have challenged and continue to challenge these contestations by using the Constitution.

Rural community members have received judgements from both High Courts of South Africa and the Constitutional Court on unfair practices in relation to communal land and those living under traditional authorities. The continue to use these judgement to keep government accountable, abolish unfair practices and empower other communities on how they can use this law to achieve rural democracy. The aim of this conversation is to show people how rural communities continue to use the law to harness their power.

Alliance for Rural Democracy (ARD) is a collective of civil society organisations and community groupings championing democracy and restorative land justice. With strong networks across five provinces namely Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Kwa Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape in South Africa, ARD capacitates activists and communities to actively resist, mobilise and organise against the erosion of their land rights and marginalization of the former homelands.