1. Background The Black Authorities Act, No 68 of 1951 (hereinafter BAA) was one of the legislative cornerstones of apartheid engineering which sought to control communities of black people. It laid the foundation for the establishment of statutory tribal, regional and territorial authorities to administer the affairs of black people; and also defined the functions of those black authorities. It has remained a symbol of past racial divisions and discrimination and is entirely repugnant to the values and human rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996. The Black Authorities Act Repeal Bill [B 9 - 2010], tabled in Parliament on 7 May 2010, seeks to repeal the BAA thereby removing it from the statutes book. Subsequent to the briefing by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform invited public comments on the Black Authorities Act Repeal Bill [B 9 - 2010]. It received five written submissions and seventeen expressions of interest to make oral submissions. On 20 and 21 July 2010, it conducted public hearings on the Black Authorities Act Repeal Bill and heard submissions and testimonies from representatives of rural communities and organisations. The public hearing process was followed by consideration of the Bill and deliberations on the submissions received by the committee.