Civil rights organisation AfriForum has instructed its legal team to lay a charge of hate speech against Andile Mngxitama, Leader of Black First Land First (BLF), at the Equality Court. In the entreaties AfriForum also requests a finding by the Court that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) must institute an investigation to criminally prosecute Mngxitama. […]
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NPA – Seeking the Magic Bullet
A clear challenge for the Advocate is also that of dealing with an organised criminal mafia that has carefully infiltrated organs of government and curried favour with politicians. Perhaps experience gleaned over a decade at the International Criminal Court (ICC) will stand Advocate Batohi in good stead in dealing with multi-national, multi-agency and vexed matters […]
‘Oppose the trampling of property rights’
After a debate that lasted over 70 minutes, a majority of the Members of Parliament in the National Assembly voted in favour of the adoption of a Constitutional Review Committee report on the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution. Opposition from the DA, IFP, ACDP, FF Plus and COPE was in vain as 209 MPs voted […]
5 Wishes for South Africa’s Success in 2019
By Theuns Eloff: Executive Director, FW de Klerk Foundation 3 December 2018 2018 is almost over. December is a time for many South Africans to wrap things up and conclude business, to take some time off and to rest. But it is also a time of taking stock of the year and what was achieved – and […]
The Politics of Spectacle
By Zohra Dawood, Director, Centre for Unity in Diversity – 29 November 2018 The last few weeks have witnessed a time of politics by insult and grandiose displays of power, largely orchestrated by Julius Malema and his EFF colleagues. Many commentators and analysts have argued that the EFF have used these tactics to control the […]
President Ramaphosa’s Commissions Strategy
By Theuns Eloff: Executive Director, FW de Klerk Foundation 26 November 2018 It’s not unusual to hear people say “Cyril is not moving fast enough to fight and end State capture and corruption”. He should have sent so and so “to jail long ago…” But is it that simple? And what is really happening? One can […]
Is South Africa’s Constitutional Court protecting democracy?
Theunis Roux, Professor of Law, UNSW A recent decision by South Africa’s Constitutional Court on the right to peaceful protest has drawn renewed attention to its role in safeguarding the country’s democracy. In declaring a section of the Regulation of Gatherings Act partly unconstitutional, the Court confirmed its function as a protector of democratic rights. […]
Shades of Brazil as anti-corruption drive in South Africa turns nasty
Anti-corruption campaigns are normally good for democracy. But they can threaten it: this happens when the people claiming to root out corruption are themselves corrupt. One recent example is Brazil, where an elected president, Dilma Rousseff, was forced from office by politicians who are far more corrupt and were covering their own tracks. Something similar […]
South African court resets power balance between villagers, mines and chiefs
Sonwabile Mnwana, Associate Professor, Sociology, University of Fort Hare South Africa’s Constitutional Court recently passed an important judgment that’s fundamentally challenged the power imbalance between mining companies and local communities in rural parts of the country. The Court ruled in favour of 13 families from the village of Lesetlheng in the north west against a […]
Ramaphosa: ‘Bigger mandate’ will be a bigger mistake – Maimane
Mmusi Maimane – Leader of the Democratic Alliance 16 November 2018 There is a theory doing the rounds that the best thing for South Africa would be for Cyril Ramaphosa to get a “bigger mandate” in the 2019 elections. Even seasoned political analysts like Carol Paton, Max du Preez and Peter Bruce have succumbed to the illusory allure of this […]