Irene Grootboom (c. 1969 – 2008) was a South African housing rights

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

best known for her

victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

before the

Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

. The Court found that the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

had not met its obligation to provide adequate alternative housing for the residents of

Kraaifontein Kraaifontein is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa and is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. The name originated from the large number of crows (''Kraai'' in Afrikaans) that ...

’s Wallacedene informal settlement. The ruling provided clear legal support for housing-rights campaigns in South Africa and elsewhere. At the time of her death in August

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, however, Grootboom was still living in a shack. The SJC grassroots movement in

Khayelitsha Khayelitsha () is a township (South Africa), township in Western Cape, South Africa, on the Cape Flats in the City of Cape Town, City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. The name is Xhosa language, Xhosa for ''New Home''. It is reputed to ...

established the Irene Grootboom Memorial Lecture Series in her honour.

Notes

References

* '' Government of the Republic of South Africa and Others v Grootboom and Others'' 2001 (1) SA 46 (CC).

External links

The 'Grootboom' community, November 2000
2001. 4 min. film. Focuses on a lawsuit by Irene Grootboom, includes interviews with Wallacedene residents. * 1969 births 2008 deaths South African activists South African women activists Activists from Cape Town Shack dwellers 20th-century squatters South African squatter leaders South African housing rights activists 21st-century squatters {{SouthAfrica-activist-stub