Reclaiming Power & Redefining Identity: LARC joins the new NRF SARChI Chair at Rhodes University to help shape a sustainable, decolonial future for rural Africa.

On 29 and 30 April 2026, Director Nolundi Luwaya and Land Lead Researcher Katlego Ramantsima, from the Land and Accountability Research Centre (LARC), participated in an inception workshop for the NRF SARChI Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures, which was recently awarded to Professor Sonwabile Mnwana at Rhodes University.

The Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures is dedicated to generating decolonial knowledge that addresses the systemic challenges facing contemporary African rural societies. By employing an interdisciplinary framework, the Chair seeks to reimagine the social, economic, and ecological landscapes of these communities. This approach provides critical insights into complex issues such as deepening inequality, insecure land tenure, and extractive development. Ultimately, the Chair aims to bridge the gap between rigorous scholarship and transformative policy, shaping more equitable and resilient pathways for rural Africa.

The workshop brought together a broad group of international and local scholars, farmers, activists, students, and government officials. The proceedings were organised around three key thematic pillars: land, gender, and rural politics; the sustainability of the 'rural'; and ecological transformations.

Nolundi Luwaya delivered a presentation within the Sustainability and the ‘Rural’ session, titled "Reclaiming Power: Rural Citizens' Struggles for Meaningful Legal Identity." In her presentation, Nolundi proposed a strategic intervention regarding the role of communal land law. She advocated for its use as a transformative framework to reimagine traditional legal paradigms, suggesting that such a shift is essential for identifying and implementing effective, context-specific solutions in rural settings.