MAKING LAW WORK - RESTRUCTURING LAND RELATIONS IN AFRICA

This article explores a number of issues concerning the appropriate ro le for the law to play in the restructuring and reform of land relatio ns and land tenure in Africa. Given current (external) donor tendencie s, and (internal) pressures for reform from within, this is a particul arly topical issue: in seeking to explore it, the author draws on his own experiences and involvement in land law reform, as well as other s ources of information, concentrating on countries and events in Easter n and Southern Africa. After examining various models and country expe riences, the article concludes that, while there is no single 'right w ay' to tackle land tenure reform in Africa, there are a number of fact ors which may be crucial to success, and in which the law - and lawyer s - can play a vital role.