Applicants are required to prepare a research outline in line with the departmental focus/niche area requirements and the guidelines provided. Uploading a research outline is applicable to all qualifications, except for the MBA, MBL, coursework LLMs and coursework MCom in Industrial Psychology. Click here for the guidelines for preparing a research outline.
The department's research focus area covers a wide range of subject matters, including Constitutional Law, Fundamental and Human Rights (SA) and International Human Rights Law, Fundamental Rights Litigation, all fields of Administrative and Public Law, including Education Law, Environmental Law and Natural Resources Law, all fields of Public International Law and Comparative Law, Indigenous law or African customary law.
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Dr S Ndlazi | Constitutional Law, artisanal and small-scale mining |
| Dr H Coetzee | Environmental law (Energy), Constitutional Law and Citizenship, Participation and Democracy |
| Ms N Dlamini-Ndwandwe | Customary / Indigenous Law |
| Prof BA Dube | Aviation Law, Public International Law, and International Criminal Law |
| Mr S Selelo | International Law and Administrative Law |
| Adv P Makama | Constitutional Law, Human Rights Law, Constitutional interpretation |
| Mrs A Baffour | Environmental Law |
| Prof A Manthwa | Human Rights Law, Customary Law, and Family Law |
| Prof L Mhlongo | International Economic Law and International Investment Law |
| Adv NC Malatsi | Interpretation of statutes, Education Law, and Administrative Law |
| Mr R Lephoto | International Trade Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution. |
| Ms M Mooki | Human Rights Law |
| Prof L Stone | Constitutional Law and International Law |
| Prof P Mudau | Constitutional Law |
| Dr M Lefenya-Motshegare | Local Government Law |
| Dr MN Mpya | International Law |
| Mr M Ndou | ADR, Labour Law, Human Rights |
The Department of Private Law provides the underpinning rock on which the entire society of law stands. The research interests of its members vary widely and span the entire field of South African private law, including deceased estate, private & criminal law principles of the internet, and, of course, customary law. The Department of Private Law aims to deliver innovative and transformative legal research and thinking, and fulfils this role at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Prof A Roos | Data privacy protection / legal protection of personal information; Law of Succession |
| Ms TI Munyai | Property Law and Law of Contracts |
| Prof P Bakker | Customary (indigenous) family law, religious family law, contemporary families and family law in Africa |
| Chad-Lee Cameron CC. Bedeker | Financial Regulation Law |
| Prof IM Knobel | Property Law and Constitutional Property Law |
| Dr CS van der Westhuizen | Legal protection of neonates, medically assisted suicide, mediation, medical treatment of children |
| Ms Lezel Buttner | Family Law, Child Law, Law of Persons and Medical Law with special interest in surrogacy, divorce and medial negligence |
| Mr R Ismail | Law of contract and law of sale and lease |
| Mrs R Mahomed | Personal injury claims, sports law, Islamic marriage law |
| Mr K Seanego | Unjustified enrichment liability and estoppel, law of contract. |
| Prof L Kiewitz | Property Law |
| Mr M Netshitungulu | Law of contract, Law of damages |
| Prof CJ Pretorius | Law of Contract, Law of Unjustified Enrichment and Estoppel |
| Prof H Kruger | Law of persons, children’s rights, parental responsibilities and rights |
| Prof J Knobel | Delictual claims, law of damages |
| Mr LM Kutu | Property Law, Land Reform and Housing Law |
| Adv M Khumalo | Law of Contract, Family Law, Labour Law, Evidence and Procedural Law |
| Prof M Mokotong | Law of Delict, Personal injuries, Law of Damages, Customary Law, and Succession law |
| Prof S Ferreira | Child law, law of persons |
| Prof R Ahmed | Law of delict, personal injury claims |
| Mr MM Ratiba | Land and Housing law, deeds law and conveyancing |
| Ms BP Maboki | Law of Succession, Deceased Estates, Medical Law and Customary Law |
| Mr PO Matsemela | Law of Succession, Deceased Estate |
| Mrs TH Nkuna | Notarial practice and Conveyancing |
| Ms M Seerane | Family law, Customary marriages |
| Mrs Contilia Bayi | Law of contract, customary law and child law |
| Miss KN Monareng | Marriage Law, Divorce Law, Matrimonial Law and Customary Law |
| Ms S Motjopi | Deeds, Transfer of movables and immovables, Notarial Practice |
| Mr Motseta Mahlo | Family law, child law and parental rights and responsibilities. |
| Ms Thabang Monyela | Law of Contract, medical law and artificial intelligence in the law and legal education |
| Ms Lindi Mtsweni | Family Law and Customary Law (Indigenous Law) |
| Prof LR Ngwenyama | Property Law; Constitutional Property Law. |
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Prof WFM Luyt | Comparative criminal justice; international corrections/prisons; community corrections and parole; correctional legal matters, unit management; correctional management; correctional strategic management; HIV and AIDS in corrections; correctional research ethics. |
| Prof P Muthaphuli | Corrections, Criminal Justice, Offender Rehabilitation, Offender’s Rights and Sentencing. |
| Prof TD Matshaba | Community corrections, youth corrections, unit management and correctional administration/management. Parole board and parole supervision. Case management, correctional overcrowding, correctional staff development. Correctional gangsterism. |
| Prof N Mullins | Youth and Female offenders, Comparative criminal justice; international corrections/prisons; unit management; correctional management; correctional strategic management. |
| Prof L Fitz | Offender Profiling and Assessment, Correctional Services and Management, Gangsterism and Organized Crime in Correctional Centres, Law Enforcement and Use of Force and Parole and Rehabilitation. |
| Dr FCM Louw | Community Corrections, Correctional Officer Safety and Wellness, Restorative Justice, Victimology, Recidivism, and Correctional Programmes. |
| Dr A Labane | Corrections and care, rehabilitation, assessment inmates and internal role-players in corrections. Admission and release mechanism in connections, assessment of inmates, and 4th industrial Revolution in correctional security. |
| Ms DC Jonker | Social Dimensions in Criminal Justice, Restorative Justice in Correctional Environments, Special Needs Offenders, Social Work Practice in Correctional Settings, Vulnerable Victims of Crime, Role of Social Work Programmes in Offender Rehabilitation, Offender Reintegration, Recidivism Prevention, Legalities of the Correctional Services Act (DCS), ODeL Teaching in Correctional Education, Investigating pedagogical strategies, digital learning methodologies, and student support models within the ODeL environment, especially for students working within or studying corrections and Curriculum Development in Corrections Management. |
| Dr T Mdlungu | Rural Women Development, Youth Justice, Open Distance e-Learning Research, Community Corrections, Rural Criminology. |
| Mr WJ Clack | Livestock Theft; Rural Crime, Corrections Management, Correctional Skills. |
| Prof EK Sibanyoni | Human trafficking/Albino killings for body parts to create traditional medicine (muthi murder), gender-based violence, sexual offenses committed by children against other children, male on male sexual violence in correctional services, victim profiling, and offender profiling, violence against vulnerable group such as disabled children, children, women and grandparents. |
| Dr J Hlatshwayo | Feminist, Womanist, Bosadi theorizations. |
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Dr B Lekubu | Fraud, Corruption and Anti-Corruption Reforms/Strategies. |
| Prof MM Matlala | Policing Technologies, Crime Prevention, Post-modern Policing and Police Service delivery |
| Prof JS Horne | Human trafficking, Crimes against women and children, Forensic investigation, Serious and Violent crimes and Fraud and Corruption Criminal investigation and policing |
| Prof A Mabudusha | Migration policing in South Africa, Cross border crimes and Law enforcement and Statelessness in Africa |
| Prof MS Manamela | Policing, Crime prevention, Forensic Investigation in Commercial Crimes and Transgressions |
| Dr LL Motsepe | Crime investigation (Fraud and Commercial Crime, White collar crime) and general policing Criminal Investigations Corporate Fraud Investigations Policing caseload management socio-economic and political issues |
| Dr T Van Niekerk | Crime Investigation; Domestic Violence; Crimes against woman and children; Drug investigations; Forensic Investigation |
| Prof G Thenga | Forensic Investigation, Fraud and Corruption, Transnational Crimes and Commercial crimes, Human and economic rights violations |
| Dr MA Aphane | Cybercrime Cyber security; Police training and crime prevention |
| Prof van Graan | Community policing, crime reduction and prevention, intelligence-led policing |
| Prof RJ Mokwena | Forensic Photography and Crime scene Investigation also include Fingerprints analysis |
| Prof B Benson | Cultural heritage crime, crime investigation, crimes against women and children, policing, corruption and ethics, online tuition pedagogies |
| Prof DQ Mabunda | Forensic Investigation, Policing and Community Policing |
| Dr P Machethe | Transnational crime, Criminal and forensic investigations, Illicit Drugs |
| Prof D Masiloane | Policing Crime Management |
| Dr MC Marakalala | Adapting Anti-Fraud Practices in the Generative AI Age; Commercial crimes; Corruption; Drugs and Substance Abuse; Forensic Investigation; Fraud; Human Trafficking; Intelligence Money Laundry; Biometrics Payment Technology |
| Mr G Makola | Indigenous Policing Models; Violence in the e-hailing industry; automated teller machine bombing crime; Geographical Information Systems (GIS); Crime analysis; Forensic Investigations; Cellphone technology |
| Dr M Maboa | Policing, Forensic investigation, Crime information management and analysis Crime intelligence and analysis Partnership policing |
| Dr NC Dube | Criminal and Forensic Investigation; Fingerprint investigation; Policing; Public Service/Supply ChainManagement, Procurement and Human Resources Fraud |
| Dr BT Lebitso | Illegal mining activities; Gender-based violence crime related issues; Traditional courts disputes related matters; Human trafficking |
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Prof A Saurombe | International economic law, Investment law, Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) Intellectual Property Rights |
| Prof J Le Roux-Bouwer | General Principles of Criminal Law; Specific Offences; Gender-based violent crimes |
| Mr L Coetzee | Medical Law |
| Ms M Diseko | Gender & the Law; Human Rights; Media Law; Specific Offences; Hate crimes; Criminal Law |
| Dr B Gordon | Internet Law, International Law, Criminal Law |
| Mr K Koza | Criminal Procedure, Cyberlaw, Dispute resolution, AI |
| Dr TL Mabusela | Dispute Resolution |
| Mr B Mashabane | Legal Practice; Corporate Law; Dispute Resolution; Takeover Law |
| Ms M Mkhabela | Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Applied Law for Forensic Auditors |
| Ms W Masuku | Family Law, Parental rights and responsibility |
| Dr T Mokoena | Criminal Procedure |
| Prof N Mollema | General Principles of Criminal Law, Specific crimes, Sexual Offences, Human trafficking, Human Rights, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Court interpreting, Forensic linguistics |
| Prof M Monyakane | Law of Evidence; Constitutional Criminal Law; Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure; Individual labour law; Constitutional Labour Law; Indigenous knowledge recognition as intellectual property; Forensic are measures in criminal justice system; Administrative Law; Constitutional Law; International Economic Law |
| Ms M Mothapo | Civil Procedure, Criminal law, Criminal Procedure, Corporate Law, Law of evidence |
| Ms P Museka | General Principles of Criminal Law, Specific crimes, Internet Law, Law of Evidence, Taxation Law |
| Ms R Mzitshwa | Law of Evidence and Criminal Procedure |
| Prof K Naidoo | Hate crimes, Racially & Ethnically Motivated Crimes, General Principles of Criminal Law |
| Prof B Naudé | Criminal Procedural Rights |
| Adv B Ndlazi | Civil Procedure, Child Justice |
| Mr P Nkoane | Organised Crime |
| Prof L Pienaar | Medical Law, Mental Health Law, Mental illness in the criminal justice system, Child Justice, Disability Law |
| Ms U Poyo | Criminal Procedure, Cybercrime and Financial Crime |
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Ms A Bauling | Transformative legal education; Online learning in law; ODeL; visual learning in law |
| Adv KH Bokaba | Critical Race theory, Pan-Africanism, Legal Philosophy, Law and Politics |
| Prof JH de Villiers | Legal Philosophy; Jurisprudence; Animal Ethics; Human Rights; Law and Literature; Feminist, Womanist, Bosadi Theorizations; Environmental Law |
| Prof MP Ferreira-Snyman | International Outer Space Law |
| Mrs A Jacobs | Fundamentals of South African Law; Roman Family Law |
| Prof M Labuschaigne | Medical law and Ethics; regulation of human tissue and tissue engineering; regulation of assisted reproduction; law and literature |
| Prof NQ Mabeka | Labour Law, Commercial Law. |
| Dr FM Mahlobogwane | Child Law, Family Law and Medical Law |
| Prof S Mahomed | Bioethics & Health law: international human tissue transfer; protection of personal information; and artificial intelligence. |
| Adv R Mokomane | Restorative Justice, Criminal Law, and Customary Law |
| Mr MD Moremi | Public Law; Legal Philosophy |
| Prof M Mswela | Health Law, Bioethics, Human rights |
| Dr LDM Neke | Human Rights; Clinical Legal Education; and Civil Procedural Law |
| Ms GS Nkosi | Social Welfare Law; Child Law; Customary Law |
| Ms P Nyawo | Feminist Legal Theory & Race, gender and the Law & Afrifems |
| Adv U Jiyane | Cyber law, Privacy and Data Protection |
| Adv H Raligilia | International Law, Labour Law, Law, and Politics |
| Dr NS Siphuma | Property Law and Constitutional Property Law |
| Prof M Slabbert | Medical Law; Professional Ethics; Organ Transplants & the Law |
| Dr NL Sono | Constitutional Property Law and Property Law |
| Prof M Swanepoel | Medical Law |
| Prof L Pienaar | Medical Law, Mental Health Law, Mental illness in the criminal justice system, Child Justice, Disability Law |
| Ms U Poyo | Criminal Procedure, Cybercrime and Financial Crime |
| Prof M Wethmar-Lemmer | Conflict of Laws; Private International Law; International Commercial Arbitration; International Sales Law and the CISG |
| Ms L Wildenboer | South African Legal History |
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Mr K Bapela | Tax law, Banking Law |
| Prof M Bekink | Company Law, Commercial Law, Child and Family Law |
| Prof R Cassim | Company Law, Corporate Governance |
| Adv H De Ru | Child law, Aspects of contract law pertaining to children, Commercial law and Banking law |
| Prof M Du Bois | Intellectual Property Law and Constitutional Property Law |
| Prof S Ebrahim | Equal Pay Law; Employment Discrimination Law; Labour Law |
| Mrs M Fuchs | Credit Law, Commercial Law |
| Prof W Germishuys-Burchell | Labour Law, Commercial law, Specific Contracts and Law of Contract |
| Prof S Geyer | Intellectual Property Law |
| Adv N Hlongwane | Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law and Labour law |
| Prof E Hurter | Intellectual Property Law and Information Technology Law (Cyberlaw) |
| Prof W Jacobs | Insurance law (in particular the contractual aspects of insurance law; field of specialty: liability insurance) |
| Mr B Khumalo | Labour Law, Social Security Law, Occupational Health and Safety Law |
| Adv L Kubjana | Labour Law, Occupational Health Safety Law |
| Mr T Kunene | Labour Law (Collective labour law) and Occupational health and safety law, Pension fund Law. |
| Prof V Madlela | Company Law (with a focus on corporate governance, corporate political activities, corporate auditors, mergers and acquisitions, schemes of arrangement and asset disposals). |
| Mr D Mahhumane | Company Law, Labour Law, Commercial law and Corporate Governance |
| Adv P Makakaba | Commercial Law, Banking law |
| Prof EM Maleka | Tax law and Commercial Law |
| Prof ME Manamela | Labour Law, Commercial Law and Pension Law |
| Prof T Manamela | Labour Law, Commercial Law, Pension Law, Social Security Law |
| Mrs BM Masuku | Company Law & Commercial Law |
| Mr Boaz Masuku | Intellectual Property Law, Commercial Law, Consumer Law and Company Law |
| Adv M Mathiba | Labour Law, social Security Law |
| Ms E Mbiriri | Insolvency law, Insurance law, and Company law |
| Adv MR Modiba | Company Law and Commercial Law |
| Ms MM Mulaudzi | Labour Law and Commercial Law |
| Dr D Rammila | Labour Law, International Trade Law (and investment), and Commercial Law |
| Dr RM Shay | Intellectual Property Law, Constitutional Property Law |
| Prof M Sigwadi | Company law and Pension Law |
| Prof C Stoop | Commercial law, Education Law, Child Law, Law of persons |
| Ms Z Taljaard | Insolvency Law and Commercial Law |
| Prof LG Tredoux | Income tax law, tax and emigration, corporate tax law, estate planning, international tax law, tax education, education law, comparative tax law, tax policy. |
| Prof MD Tuba | Banking Law, Commercial Law, and Insolvency Law, and Property law (Registration of Transfers). |
| Mr R van Niekerk | Commercial Law, Company law and Labour Law |
| Ms AN Wagener | Banking Law, Commercial Law, |
| Prof C Singh | Banking Law and Intellectual Property Law |
| Researcher | Research focus area |
|---|---|
| Dr TD Ngoveni | SAPS & CPF’s collaboration in crime prevention; Police and private security officers in crime prevention, multidisciplinary crime prevention approach, security risk control measures |
| Dr M Barkhuizen | Victimology (domestic violence; theories; hate crimes), Gender-Based Violence (GBV) |
| Prof MI Schoeman | Child justice, children in conflict with the law, victimology, victim-offender overlap, restorative justice, childhood substance use and behavioural addiction |
| Prof K Pillay | Private security industry – legislation, regulations, oversight, training and professionalisation of private security officers, crime prevention, research methodologies, security risk management; AI and the private security industry |
| Dr MS Thobane | Cash-in-Transit robberies, armed robberies, bank-related robberies, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), contemporary crime issues, victimology, African/critical criminology, decoloniality |
| Dr M Zitha | Children in conflict with the law, diversion, violent crime and profiling of foreign nationals offending |
| Prof BW Haefele | Rhino poaching and organised crime |
| Dr S Kader | Safety and security in society; house robberies: security measures, victims of house robberies; victims of crime |
| Mr TE Banda | Psira as the regulatory body; Regulation of unregistered security service providers |
| Mrs L Van Schalkwyk | Security risk control measures, safety and security at schools |
| Dr DF Monyepao | Feminist, Womanist, Bosadi Theorisations: Substance misuse in relation to female offenders |
| Mrs E Joubert | Explanation of offending behaviour (male, female), needs and risk assessment, pre-parole assessment and female offenders’ assessment and crimes; youth at risk |
| Prof SK Jansen Van Rensburg | Cybercrime, information security, social engineering, cyberstalking, contemporary crime, women in security, research methodology |
| Ms C Doorewaard | Offender risk assessment; explanation of offending behaviour; rural crime with specific focus on livestock theft; victimology (victims of livestock theft) |
| Mr CM Kgoale | Social media and cybercrime |
| Dr N Bougard | Victimology risk assessment of offenders; Service delivery within the criminal justice system; Pre-parole reports |
| Mr M Panyapanya | An evaluation of safety and security at OR Tambo International Airport |
| Mr J Schoeman | Competencies and skills required for security managers. (Physical); The conducting of effective risk analyses at clients’ sites; Residential security control measures, do’s and don’ts (private and gated neighbourhood communities); Evaluation of existing security measures and the implementation of cost-effective counter security measures to address the shortfall; Security measures through environmental design and the implementation thereof before construction starts at a new site/premises - building security measures first into the project and not afterward. |
| Prof M Buthelezi | Community safety in general; Role of local municipalities in community safety; Role of community in crime prevention; Policing policies; Role of private security in community safety |
| Mr A Mahambane | Corporate investigation; Safety and security; Retail security; Security risk management; Crime risk; Risk assessment |
| Prof TO Magadze | Green Criminology; Victimology; Criminal justice; Corrections; Community policing; Boarder security; Investigation of crimes; Security risk management |
| Ms AL Makatu | Security vetting; Border security; Integrity management; Intelligence; Military security; Security management; Community safety and security |
| Mr TP Maja | Safety and security measures. |
| Ms NP Magagula | Explanation of offending behaviour youth and female offending; Criminological profiling needs and risk assessments. |
| Dr E Reddy | Cryptocurrency Crime/Fraud, DeFi crime, Corporate Investigations, Cybercrime, Cybercrime investigations, Legal and regulatory aspects of cybercrime investigation |
| Prof D Khosa | Gender and related issues, Security Governance & Compliance, Policing Ethics & Integrity; Traffic Safety & Regulation |
| Prof J T Mofokeng | Knowledge management, transnational crime, school violence, Gender-Based Violence and femicide |
| MS LP Chokoe | Feminism, Victimology, Community justice, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity. |
Last modified: Tue Aug 18 15:23:13 SAST 2026