Madiba would have agreed: “The law is for protection of the people”*

Reflections on the Occasion of the Acceptance of the Degree Doctor Legum Honoris Causa from the University of Pretoria

Abstract

Die artikel het ten doel om as kort inleiding te dien tot die manier waarop eiendom binne in ’n virtuele wêreld verkry kan word. Die Suid-Afrikaanse sakereg word as agtergrond gebruik om die nuwe veld van virtuele goederereg te bespreek en binne in die konteks van die reg in die regte wêreld te plaas. Ondersoek word ingestel om te bepaal of daar ooreenkomste is tussen die oordrag van eiendom in die regte en die virtuele wêrelde. In sommige gevalle blyk dit te wees dat eiendomsregte afgelei word deur middel van standaard kontraktuele bedinge wat deur die ontwikkelaar van ’n virtuele wêreld bepaal word. Soms is hierdie bloot gebruiksregte, maar in ander gevalle, en spesifiek binne-in virtuele wêrelde wat die regte wêreld simuleer, kan gebruikers eienaarskap verkry van hul virtuele goedere. Vanuit die voorbeelde is dit duidelik dat daar sterk ooreenkomste tussen eiendom in die regte en virtuele wêrelde is. Eiendom kan onder andere deur beide oorspronklike sowel as afgeleide wyses verkry kan word in die virtuele wêreld en eiendomsreg in ’n virtuele item kan onder andere gesedeer, verkoop of ge-erf word of selfs verlore gaan in ’n insolvente boedel.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Principal Professor Pretorius; Dean of the Faculty of Law Professor Boraine; Director of the Centre for Human Rights Professor Viljoen; staff members of the University of Pretoria; my colleague Justice Nkabinde of the Constitutional Court; my previous boss former Judge President of the Gauteng High Court and now member of the African Court and Chancellor of the University of South Africa, Justice Ngoepe; deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Professor Visser; students from all over Africa receiving doctoral and master’s degrees, to whom today belongs; representatives of universities and countries in Africa and elsewhere, brothers and sisters -

On this occasion in these days of mourning and memories I pay tribute to our father and leader, President Nelson Mandela. The last time I saw him in person and shook his hand was in the hall right next to this very venue, when he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Pretoria several Decembers ago. I am proud to have been the one who nominated him for it. Without his life and work, we might not have been here today. I remember his words from my mother-tongue when he departed from politics and said good-bye to the nation: “Mooi loop!” And I say: “Mooi loop, Madiba. Dankie vir die saamloop en voorloop. Ek dra hierdie beskeie bydrae aan u op”. (Go well Madiba. Thank you for walking with us and leading us. I dedicate this modest contribution to you.)

It is an enormous honour to receive an honorary doctorate from this University where I spent much of my life. I am deeply thankful to those at the University who worked to make it possible; who educated me; and who were colleagues and friends, willing to share my dream that we could play a role in the shaping of a new democratic South Africa as part of Africa. I welcome my dear friends who are present and thank you for your interest and support over the years. I thank and pay tribute to my family for their support, inspiration and love: my dear wife Saro; my children Alexander, Dassie and Vincent; my sister Minda, her husband Thys and their family; and my brother-in-law Dr Radha Persaud from Toronto. I cannot help but spare a thought for my deceased mother and father: Anna, who tried to teach us to work hard, excel and save money, that God commands one to obey the Bible and the government and that almost everything enjoyable is dangerous or sinful; and Vincent, who worked for

the apartheid government, but wrote beautiful Afrikaans poetry and prose, talked about human rights and undermined everything - bad and good - the Afrikaner establishment stood for, long before deconstruction became fashionable.