CONSTITUTIONAL COMMENTARY AND EVENTS
ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS
STATEMENT: THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION AND ITS CENTRE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS CALL FOR PEACEFUL LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
On Wednesday, 3 August, South Africans will cast their votes in the nation’s fourth democratic local government elections. Political rights are enshrined in the Bill of Rights, while the nation’s founding values include “universal adult suffrage, a national common voter’s roll, regular elections and a multi-party system of democratic government to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness”.
The reported incidents of election-related violence and destruction of property cast doubt as to the degree with which the local government elections can be said to be free and fair. Already, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has reported that in the run-up to the August 3 elections, there have been about 50 politically-related killings, predominantly in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS), in a similar vein, notes that political killings are as a result of local conflicts and rivalries.
STATEMENT: MANDELA DAY 2016
Mandela Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the life and service of former President Nelson Mandela. In keeping with the call to ‘take action’ and help change lives for the better, staff of the FW de Klerk Foundation and its Centre for Constitutional Rights (CFCR) will donate their time to two very worthy organisations. Staff will participate in hands-on projects at Autism Western Cape, and Iris House Children’s Hospice – organisations that make a meaningful, daily difference in the lives of children with disabilities.
STATEMENT: FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION WELCOMES RHODA KADALIE AS DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The FW de Klerk Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Rhoda Kadalie as Deputy Chairperson of its Board of Trustees. Ms Kadalie, who joined the Board in October 2014, was unanimously elected as the Board’s Deputy Chairperson at a Board meeting held on 11 July 2016. With her extensive experience as an academic, as well as her ongoing work related to the advancement of human rights and the achievement of equality, the Board believes Ms Kadalie will add great value to the work of the Foundation.
PODCASTS
SUBMISSIONS
SPEECHES
EVENTS
THE CONSTITUTION AT WORK 2019 – BREAKFAST DISCUSSION 3
On Tuesday 29 October the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CFCR) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) hosted the third in a series of breakfast discussions
ARTICLE: WHAT DO THE CRIME STATS MEAN? WHY DO WE PUBLISH CRIME STATS?
On 12 September 2019, the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, released this year’s Crime Stats. The Crime Stats cover the period from 1 April 2018, to 31 March 2019. They focus on 21 categories of crime, encompassing data collected from both the South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as the public. It is important that the statistics are released to keep the public informed of the state of affairs in a country that is rife with criminal activity. However, it is just as important to understand that the crime stats play an even bigger role than mere information circulation.
ARTICLE: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL 2019
October 11 is commemorated annually across the world to highlight the many ways gender inequality impacts young girls and their access to fundamental human rights. This day was first commemorated in 2012 and finds its origins in the United Nations (UN), which noted the need to address discrimination against girls in all spheres of life. According to the UN, there are over one billion girls in the world. This commemoration provides an opportunity for governments, society and organisations to raise awareness about the challenges faced by girls and to reaffirm their commitment to making much-needed changes. This year’s theme is “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable” and this year, the aim is to celebrate the achievements made by girls since the 1995 adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing Declaration), a comprehensive policy agenda for women’s empowerment aimed at removing all the obstacles to women’s equal and active participation in all spheres of life.
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
- Equality
- Non-racialism
- Gender Rights
- The Constitution
- The Rule of Law
- Multiparty Democracy
- Personal Rights
- Cultural, Religious and Language Rights
- Freedom of Expression and Political Rights
- Social and Economic Rights
- Property Rights
- Education
- Access To The Courts, Information And Fair Adminstration