The anti-aprtheid struggle hero had argued that under customary law, the house in Qunu village where the former president spent much of his time until his death in 2013 belonged to her.
Custom in law is the established pattern of behavior that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting. A claim can be carried out in defense of "what has always been done and accepted by law." Related is the idea of prescription; a right enjoyed through long custom rather than positive law.