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17 May 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo iStock
Africa Reparation Hub Launch 2024
Join us as we unite to confront the challenges of our past and pave the way for a more just and equitable future for all Africans.

The Department of Public Law at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Law is proud to announce the launch of the UFS Africa Reparation Hub alongside a colloquium centred around the theme Unifying Africa for Action to Advance Reparatory Justice.

Date: 6 June 2024

Time: 11:00-16:00

Venue : Microsoft Teams; join the event here

Click to view documentClick here to RSVP and here for more information and speakers.

The pursuit of reparations for historical and contemporary injustices in Africa has gathered significant momentum. From the adoption of the African Union resolution advocating a united front to the push for reparations of past atrocities, the continent is asserting its demand for justice. This drive traces its roots back to historical landmarks like the Abuja Proclamation of 1993 and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action in 2001.

Launch of the hub

Aligned with the UFS Vision 130, the university has established the UFS Africa Reparation Hub to serve as a nucleus for frank discussions on Africa's reparations. It houses a comprehensive database of resources on the subject and is poised to host expert groups dedicated to furthering the cause.

The Colloquium

The faculty invites academics, policymakers, human rights advocates, justice professionals, and representatives from international, regional, and national bodies to the colloquium which will precede the launch of the hub. This virtual gathering aims to foster dialogue and action toward reparatory justice in Africa. Thereafter, attendees will witness the official launch of the UFS Africa Reparation Hub, marking a significant step forward in the continent’s journey towards healing and restitution.

Leading voices on reparatory justice

In an eagerly awaited keynote address, Prof Verene Shepherd, the esteemed Director of the Centre for Reparations Research at the University of West Indies, Jamaica, is poised to set the stage for a thought-provoking discussion on reparatory justice. Joining her will be a distinguished line-up of speakers including Prof Serges Kamga (Dean of the Faculty of Law at the UFS); Martin Okumu-Masiga (Secretary-General of the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum); Dr Ahmed Bugri (Senior Expert and Coordinator for Reparatory Justice and Racial Healing at the African Union); and Prof Kula Theletsane (Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs in Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Dr Catherine Namakula, Convenor of the Africa Reparation Hub, is anticipated to moderate the discussion, guiding the conversation towards actionable strategies for advancing reparations and fostering racial healing across Africa and beyond.

News Archive

UFS law researcher part of international project to produce human trafficking reference book
2017-03-17

Description: Human trafficking reference book Tags: Human trafficking reference book


Trafficking in Persons has been in the spotlight as an ever-growing crime around the world. Research being done in South Africa by various universities over the years has yielded results that are internationally recognised.

Part of this work has been done by Prof Beatri Kruger, Research Associate at the Centre for Human Rights at the University of the Free State (UFS), who has been involved in research that has created awareness around the world on various methods of human trafficking in Africa. She is currently working on co-authoring a chapter in the International Handbook on Human Trafficking to be published by Palgrave, the first of its kind and a major reference work in this field, with Marcel van der Watt, a lecturer at the University of South Africa (Unisa) Department of Police Practice. The reference book is a massive international project that will have more than 60 international contributors and will be published in 2018.

Contribution to international research
The chapter is titled: Breaking bondages: Methods to control victims, ‘Juju’ and human trafficking. It explores the methods used by Nigerian and other West African traffickers, namely “juju” rituals, to subdue their victims for sexual exploitation in various parts of the world. The chapter further charts various physical, financial and the psychological control mechanisms, essential in establishing an informed counter-trafficking global response.

The book and other research being done is a step in the right direction in further understanding specific practices, and can be used to augment international research, support the work of NGOs, law enforcement agencies and individuals who work with victims worldwide, to be able to understand the tools used by perpetrators, and to stop the crime from growing.

Prof Kruger said there were new opportunities at the research division of the UFS Centre for Human Rights to explore human rights violations that occur in human-trafficking scenarios, thus contributing towards more efficient strategies to combat this crime.

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