Shifting to the Right: The Evolution of Equity in the South African Government's Developmental and Education Policies, 1990-1999

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Weber
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
The South ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
The Right

scholarly journals THE RIGHT TO MOTHER-TONGUE EDUCATION: PRACTICABLE OR NOT?

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrizell Chürr
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
The South ◽  
National Education ◽  
Mother Tongue Education ◽  
South African Constitution ◽  
The Right ◽  
South African Schools Act

Mother-tongue and mother-tongue education are recognized worldwide as one of the most efficient ways to function cognitively and socially. This article addresses the role of proper mother-tongue education with an emphasis on the importance of “language” since language is vital to a child’s right to a basic education in all its dimensions. Without mother-tongue education, every child’s right to learn and to become a skilful adult, able to participate independently in society, is at risk. The cumulative effect of the South African Constitution, the National Education Policy Act, the South African Schools Act, several international instruments and a number of ground-breaking cases, as well as the interaction between them on mother-tongue education will be examined. The implementation of certain education models will also be proposed.

scholarly journals SOME COMMENTS ON WATER RIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
N Gabru
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
South African ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Bill Of Rights ◽  
The South ◽  
Economic Rights ◽  
Basic Part ◽  
The Right

Human life, as with all animal and plant life on the planet, is dependant upon fresh water. Water is not only needed to grow food, generate power and run industries, but it is also needed as a basic part of human life. Human dependency upon water is evident through history, which illustrates that human settlements have been closely linked to the availability and supply of fresh water. Access to the limited water resources in South Africa has been historically dominated by those with access to land and economic power, as a result of which the majority of South Africans have struggled to secure the right to water. Apartheid era legislation governing water did not discriminate directly on the grounds of race, but the racial imbalance in ownership of land resulted in the disproportionate denial to black people of the right to water. Beyond racial categorisations, the rural and poor urban populations were traditionally especially vulnerable in terms of the access to the right.  The enactment of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996, brought the South African legal system into a new era, by including a bill of fundamental human rights (Bill of Rights). The Bill of Rights makes provision for limited socio-economic rights. Besides making provision for these human rights, the Constitution also makes provision for the establishment of state institutions supporting constitutional democracy.  The Constitution has been in operation since May 1996. At this stage, it is important to take stock and measure the success of the implementation of these socio-economic rights. This assessment is important in more ways than one, especially in the light of the fact that many lawyers argued strongly against 1/2the inclusion of the second and third generation of human rights in a Bill of Rights. The argument was that these rights are not enforceable in a court of law and that they would create unnecessary expectations of food, shelter, health, water and the like; and that a clear distinction should be made between first generation and other rights, as well as the relationship of these rights to one another. It should be noted that there are many lawyers and non-lawyers who maintained that in order to confront poverty, brought about by the legacy of apartheid, the socio-economic rights should be included in a Bill of Rights. The inclusion of section 27 of the 1996 Constitution has granted each South African the right to have access to sufficient food and water and has resulted in the rare opportunity for South Africa to reform its water laws completely. It has resulted in the enactment of the Water Services Act 108 of 1997 and the National Water Act 36 of 1998.In this paper the difference between first and second generation rights will be discussed. The justiciability of socio-economic rights also warrants an explanation before the constitutional implications related to water are briefly examined. Then the right to water in international and comparative law will be discussed, followed by a consideration of the South African approach to water and finally, a few concluding remarks will be made.

An analysis of the right of Muslim adopted children to inherit from their deceased parents in terms of the law of succession: A South African case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
Muneer Abduroaf
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Islamic Law ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
The South ◽  
Legal Context ◽  
Muslim Children ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Right ◽  
Law Of Succession

This paper analyses the right of Muslim adopted children to inherit from their deceased parents in terms of the laws of succession within the South African legal context. The status of adoption in South African and Islamic law is looked at first by way of an introduction. This is followed by looking at the rights of adopted Muslim children to inherit from their deceased parents (biological and adoptive) in terms of the South African and Islamic laws of intestate (compulsory) and then testate (optional) succession.1 The paper further looks at the possibility of applying relevant Islamic law of succession provisions applicable to enable adopted Muslim children to inherit from the estate of their deceased biological parents within the South African legal framework. The paper concludes with an analysis of the findings and makes a recommendation.

South Africa’s Foreign Policy and the BRICS Formation: Reflections on the Quest for the ‘Right’ Economic-diplomatic Strategy

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-61
Author(s):  
Theo Neethling
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
South African ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
South African Government ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Economic Diplomacy ◽  
The Right

South Africa’s foreign policy has recently been gravitating away from an appeal to Western powers towards the establishment of new friendships in the Global South, especially with Asia and Latin America. Moreover, the favouring of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) partnership and a rising tone of anti-Western sentiments have increasingly been evidenced in South Africa’s contemporary foreign policy, which are of major significance to the nature and direction of its economic-diplomatic strategy. Three broad perspectives or main arguments from this article are of special importance: First, most members of BRICS are troubled by slower economic growth, which should be of concern to South Africa’s current foreign policy stand. Second, anti-Western ideological concerns and related presumptions on the part of the South African government that the BRICS formation could potentially assume a counter-hegemonic character vis-à-vis the West are questionable and dubious. Third, South Africa stands to benefit from many networks and opportunities provided by BRICS membership. At the same time, because of its low economic growth, high levels of poverty and lack of employment opportunities, South Africa cannot afford to follow an approach of narrow interest concerning the BRICS formation and to constrain itself in its economic diplomacy. This article argues that the South African government will therefore have to consider the opportunities offered by a more nuanced and pragmatic foreign policy designed on multiple identities.

The Human Right to Water in South Africa and the Mazibuko Decisions

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 521-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Humby ◽  
Maryse Grandbois
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
The South ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Lower Courts ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
South African Constitution ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Of Access

The right of access to sufficient water in the South African Constitution has for long been regarded as progressive in a global context where the human right to water is still a subject of contention. In its recent decision handed down in the Mazibuko matter, the South African Constitutional Court interpreted the right of access to sufficient water for the first time and clarified the nature of the State’s obligations which flow from this right. It also commented upon the role of the courts in adjudicating the human right to water. This article describes the passage of the Mazibuko matter and the manner in which the lower courts interpreted the right of access to “sufficient water” as well as outlining the Constitutional Court’s decision in the context of access to water services provision in South Africa.

scholarly journals Benhaus - a landmark decision, one less hoop for contract miners but a clarion call for an overhaul of the South African mining regime

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Thambi
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Income Tax ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
The South ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Tax Legislation ◽  
The Right

SYNOPSIS The mining industry has evolved, such that the means of production that were once in the hands of major players or power houses have become equally accessible to smaller entrants, i.e. junior mining companies and contract miners. Contract mining involves contractual relationships between mine owners or mineral right holders and third parties to conduct mining activities on behalf of the right holders. The current mining income tax legislation has been a considerable obstacle to contract miners. Under its terms, they have been viewed as mining on behalf of third-party mineral rights holders. As such, expenditure incurred in relation to contract mining activities was often disallowed by the South African Revenue Service (SARS). However, the recent judgement of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Benhaus Mining (Pty) Ltd v CSARS 2020 (3) SA 325 (SCA) (Benhaus), rightfully or wrongfully, appears to provide clarity regarding the fate of contract miners' involvement in the mining value chain. The taxpayer, a contract miner, was held to be conducting mining operations within the meaning of S15(a) read with si of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 (the Income Tax Act). This paper looks at how contract mining has traversed the mining tax landscape, the implications of the Benhaus judgment, and stresses the necessity for clear policy reform to the mining tax regime and equally to legislation framed to give effect to these policies. Keywords: Contract mining, owner mining, tax, DMRE, mining regime reforms.

scholarly journals The Wafers Dumped: Lamenting a Bleeding Nation in Cry, the Beloved Country

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Dr. Leon BASHIRAHISHIZE,
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Skin Color ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
The Novel ◽  
The South ◽  
South African Society ◽  
African Community ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Right

Alan Paton’s wistful novel Cry, the Beloved Country which was released at the threshold of Apartheid in South Africa relates the South African socio-political instability at the time when racism and poverty are profoundly shaking the nation’s foundations [1]. The work explores the aftermaths brought by racial bondage that the subjugated black endures and the repercussions it casts on the whole South African society. This chapter examines how the writer grapples with the dangers brought by racial discrimination and urban life on the South African community as a whole. Paton’s view of Race and city projects a negative perception about the white racism and black crime that create tensions between the national forces [1]. This social polarity puts at risk the nation’s prospects that would build and maintain the “beloved country” which is gradually collapsing. It is this decaying state of the nation that Paton mourns in the novel. The study establishes that race and skin color do not have any relation that would define an individual’s nature and inner feelings to justify one’s deportment. The wrong or the right is a result of an individual’s moral predisposition coupled with the socio-cultural forces that feature his environment. It has also been noted that urban life corrupts; in some situations, it converts an individual into a rogue becoming a threat against society and an enemy against oneself to impair the common good.

scholarly journals Enabling the enabler: Using access to information to ensure the right to peaceful protest

2017 ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsangadzaome Alexander Mukumba ◽  
Imraan Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
The South ◽  
South African Police Service ◽  
South African Police ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Of Access ◽  
Responsible Person

The Regulation of Gatherings Act (RGA) places strict guidelines on how to exercise the right to protest, with particular emphasis on the submission of a notice of gathering to the responsible person within a municipality in terms of sections 2(4) and 3 of the Act. However, municipalities do not proactively make the notice of gathering templates available for public use (or may not have these at all), and often do not publicise the details of the designated responsible person. To test municipalities’ compliance with the RGA, the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) enlisted the help of the South African History Archive (SAHA) to submit a series of Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) requests to every municipality in South Africa. PAIA requests were also submitted to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for records relating to public order policing. The initiative aimed to provide these templates and related documents to interested parties as an open source resource on the protestinfo.org.za website. The results of these efforts show that compliance with the RGA is uneven. This article explores the flaws in the regulatory environment that have led to this level of apathy within government, despite the crucial role of the right to protest and the right of access to information as enabling rights in our constitutional democracy. An analysis of the full PAIA request dataset shows the extent of government’s resistance to facilitating these enabling rights, and provides insights into remedial interventions. The article concludes with a series of recommendations, which centre on statutory reforms to the RGA and PAIA to ensure appropriate sanction for non-compliance by government, proactive disclosure of relevant information, and emergency provisions allowing curtailed procedural requirements. The intention of the proposed amendments is to minimise the possibility that these fundamental, enabling rights might be frustrated.

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