CONSTITUTIONAL COMMENTARY AND EVENTS
ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS
ARTICLE: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FRIENDSHIP 2013: A CULTURE OF PEACE
This year ‐ on 30 July - we celebrate International Day of Friendship. The day is based not only on the recognition of friendship in the general sense but also the relevance and importance that friendship is something more and noble, and embodies a valuable sentiment in the lives of human beings around the world.
STATEMENT: TRIBUTE – FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE PIUS LANGA
I have learned with great sadness of the death of former Chief Justice Pius Langa and would like to convey my sincere condolences to his family and friends. As one of the first Judges appointed to our Constitutional Court after 1994 -‐ and later in the key role of Chief Justice from 2005 until his retirement in 2009 - Justice Langa played a crucial role in laying the foundations for our young constitutional democracy and continued to promote the integrity and independence of the judiciary as a cornerstone of our democracy.
STATEMENT: MANDELA DAY – 67 MINUTES
In keeping with this year’s theme of: “Take action; inspire change; make every day a Mandela Day”, staff of the FW de Klerk Foundation will be donating 67 minutes of their time to a community project in Cloetesville, Stellenbosch.
The ATKV AbbAsorg project cares for more than 35 disadvantaged and vulnerable children - aged between three and six years - from the local community. The project provides the children with nutritious meals and promotes school-readiness by means of an educational pre-school programme.
PODCASTS
SUBMISSIONS
SPEECHES
EVENTS
STATEMENT: TURNING OFF THE TAP – ZUMA TO PAY HIS OWN LEGAL COSTS
In an important judgment issued by the North Gauteng High Court today, the constitutional principle of accountability, as well as the protection of the Rule of Law, were reaffirmed. This judgment affirmed that valuable and scarce State resources should not be diverted on a grand scale to finance the defence of public officials charged with corruption.
The High Court held that the State is not liable to pay Mr Zuma’s personal legal costs in the criminal prosecutions against him. These relate to fraud, money laundering, corruption and racketeering. His personal legal costs are estimated to be over R16 million. The High Court also declared the Presidency and State Attorney’s decision to cover Mr Zuma’s legal costs – incurred in his personal capacity to defend these criminal prosecutions and litigation related thereto – to be invalid and set aside.
STATEMENT BY FW DE KLERK ON 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ACCEPTANCE OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Twenty-five years have passed since the cold winter’s day in Oslo when Nelson Mandela and I were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In my acceptance speech I observed that peace was a frame of mind:
“It is a frame of mind in which countries, communities, parties and individuals seek to resolve their differences through agreements, through negotiation and compromise, instead of threats, compulsion and violence.”
I said that peace was also a framework.
“It is a framework consisting of rules, laws, agreements and conventions – a framework providing mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of the inevitable clashes of interest between countries, communities, parties and individuals. It is a framework within which the irresistible and dynamic processes of social, economic and political development can be regulated and accommodated.”
ARTICLE: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2018 – #STANDUP4HUMANRIGHTS
International Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. This day coincides with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. This year, the UDHR celebrates 70 years of existence as a document that was born from the human rights atrocities that were committed during World War II and as a reminder that such violations should never occur again. Despite this powerful document, a testament to a recognition and undertaking by the international community of equal human rights for all, 70 years later, the world finds itself in a perpetual state of human rights violations. From conflict in Africa and the Middle East where young children are used in combat, to the advent of cybercrimes that consistently violate the privacy and safety of world’s citizens, there is nobody who is untouched by human rights infringements.
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