Between"culture" and "Cruelty"narratives of widows on land dispossession in Gqadu administrative area, Mbashe Municipality , Eastern Cape

This study highlights the cultural underpinnings of specific indulgences pertaining to land ownership with reference to widowhood in the rural Eastern Cape. The study does this by examining the narratives of widows about their experiences of land dispossession in Nqadu Administrative Area. Nqadu Administrative Area is a rural community in Mbhashe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study focuses on widows’ experiences relating to the cultural practices of the community regarding land ownership. A qualitative, case study design was adopted. To uncover the widows’ narratives, the study utilised in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, with a sample of 50 widows. Further empirical data were obtained from four members of the municipal Land Committees, two Ward Councillors, four Traditional Leaders and two officials from the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, using in-depth and key informant interviews. The study found that widows were vulnerable to land ownership violations and dispossessions, and that these violations were perpetrated by community members, particularly relatives of deceased husbands. Low levels of education and fear of antagonising clan relatives played a vital role in preventing widows from fighting for their legal rights. The failure of widows to fight for their rights increased their chances of being heavily exposed to dispossession of their land rights. Cultural practices within the communities catalysed abusive practices against widows, particularly against those whose marriage was not ‘recognised’ due to various stated reasons. The study also revealed that widows who had married as second wives and those who did not bear children experienced egregious abuses. Another finding was that men from Nqadu Administrative Area were given priority during the allocation of land, based on cultural and traditional practices, and were given land of their own choice depending on availability. The study thus highlights the impact of cultural practices and the ways in which these became instruments of gender abuse, despite the existence of laws designed to prevent specific social cruelties