Mrs. Fatima Osman a junior researcher and a member of the research group directed by prof. Chuma Himonga agreed to share with us a few words about her research project and field work. This is the second interview conducted during the last Second Team Meeting held in Montreal.
Fatima Osman’s work focusses on customary law of succession in South Africa and its interactions with State Law. During the Young Researchers’s Symposium, she presented the progress of her work and what she achieved. Her presentation was titled “How customary is the South African customary law of succession?”.
Her research project – and doctoral thesis – made her visit rural areas in South Africa. She had the opportunity to meet indigenous people and to hear from them how they live the customary law day by day. This field work helped her have an accurate picture of what is happening in the region studied.
She studies in particular the influence that the Reform of Customary Law of Succession Act has on South African customary law. What are the effects of this act on the lives of South Africans governed by customary law?
Not much, according to the data collected by Fatima Osman. The reform has not effectively replaced the living customary law of succession, which is still applied.
At this stage, Mrs. Osman’s Thesis is not finalized, however, we could learn a lot from what she collected.
To know more about her research, you can watch the following interview.
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