On 10 November 2009, 22 people gathered at the Embassy of Finland in Johannesburg for a seminar to discuss key parts of a new commonage manual. The Joint Municipal Commonage Seminar was convened by the LRC, Trust for Community Outreach and Education, Surplus Peoples Project, Women on Farms Project, Southern Cape Land Committee, Community Law Centre of the University of Western Cape, and Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. Attendees focused particular attention on identifying opportunities to secure and safeguard existing commonages for access and use by town residents; involving municipalities in administering and maintaining commonages; and ensuring equitable and just administration of commonages.

As follow up to the workshop, attendees have agreed to work with commonage users to drive a campaign to protect and defend commonages; this campaign will include mobilisation of stakeholders, education through further workshops and convening, and information dissemination. To this end, by early 2010 the LRC will draft a Municipal Commonage Implementation Manual, and TCOE will create a pamphlet setting out the options for how municipalities can apply for commonage infrastructure improvement grants from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.

For more information on this topic and to keep abreast of future seminars and education opportunities please visit the LRC website.