Mr Patrick Mbokazi, Deputy Director of Capacity Building and Institutional Development at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), has graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Mbokazi describes his achievement as both an academic accomplishment and an opportunity to strengthen his contribution to sustainable economic development in rural communities.
His dissertation titled: ‘Customary Land Allocation in the Shadow of SPLUMA: Evaluating the Powers and Limitations of Traditional Leaders to Authorise Commercial Development on Traditional Land’, was supervised by UKZN legal expert, Professor Warren Freedman.
The research explores how traditional leadership, land-use governance, environmental law and economic development intersect.
Mbokazi said as someone employed in the Local Economic Development (LED) sector he had become increasingly aware how economic growth and environmental sustainability were inter-connected. “I have seen first-hand how development initiatives cannot be considered in isolation from environmental considerations,” he said.
He said his professional experience had also highlighted the important role that traditional leadership and communities played when commercial development was proposed on traditional or communal land. “Access to land is fundamental to economic participation, but the availability of land alone does not necessarily translate into economic development,” he added.
Mbokazi believes appropriately planned commercial development provides employment, stimulates local Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), strengthens supply chains and provide opportunities for skills development and entrepreneurship. “Land is an important economic asset, and where it is responsibly developed, it can become a foundation for sustainable livelihoods and local economic growth.”
However, he said, development must be environmentally responsible and inclusive while consideration must be given to the impact on water resources, wetlands, biodiversity, agricultural land and other environmentally sensitive areas, alongside compliance with environmental legislation and meaningful community participation.
Mbokazi said completing the LLM had bolstered his approach to LED by giving him a broader understanding of the relationship between economic development, environmental sustainability, land-use planning and legal compliance.
In the future, he said he wanted to see rural communities becoming more active in the decisions that were made about their land and to benefit meaningfully from any proposed investment. “Development should not mean communities have to choose between economic opportunity and environmental sustainability,” he said.
Mbokazi also advocates for stronger collaboration between traditional leaders, municipalities, communities, government and investors to provide greater certainty for development while protecting community and environmental interests.
Freedman congratulated Mbokazi on what he described as an outstanding achievement: “Mbokazi’s dissertation has deepened our understanding of the complex relationship between customary land allocation, traditional leadership and the statutory framework governing land-use planning. I believe his findings and recommendations will contribute to legal certainty and more sustainable economic development in rural communities.”
For Mbokazi, the qualification is also testament to his perseverance. Balancing full-time work, postgraduate studies and family commitments required discipline and resilience. He credits his wife Zanele, his children, his mother and his work supervisor, Mr Ranveer Persad, for their support throughout his academic journey.
Words: Hazel Langa
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini