With election campaigning in full swing safety and crime has become buzz words for politicians, but mothers of children killed in gang violence on the Cape Flats made it clear they will not let their grief be politicised. This follows political parties like the DA and ANC prioritising the safety of communities on the Cape Flats during their election campaigns. DA leader Mmusi Maimane had a voter registration drive in Bonteheuwel in January where he boasted that the City of Cape Town was the first to introduce a gang unit to help keep communities safe. Thereafter the police leadership briefed MPs on the progress of the anti-gang strategy in Parliament. Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa himself has been on the campaign trail in the Western Cape and this week had a public engagement with community stakeholders on issues ranging from gangs to housing.
21 February 2019, Cape Town – The Budget Justice Coalition notes the irony of a budget handed down on World Day of Social Justice that slashes R50.3 billion from social expenditure over the next three years. While we recognise the tight financial spot the Treasury has been painted into by widespread corruption, under-delivering departments and failing SOEs, especially Eskom – we urge government to recall its first duty: to ensure the progressive realisation of people’s Constitutional rights.
On 21 February 2019, the SARChI in Multilevel Government, Law and Policy invite Prof Thenius Roux to discuss his recently published book, The Politico-Legal Dynamics of Judicial Review: a Comparative Analysis.
The Children’s Rights Project attended a three-day project review and planning workshop by African Children’s Charter Project (ACCPII) between 18th and 20th February 2019 in Banjul, The Gambia.
On 20 February 2019 a group of non-governmental organisations submitted a request to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and to the Ombudsman to take a position on the right of prisoners to vote.
The SARChI Chair in Multilevel Government Policy at the Dullah Omar Institute, and SALGA Western Cape hosted a to a Policy Dialogue with Dr Enid Slack on 5 February 2019 in Cape Town. The event focused on paying for municipal services and infrastructure in metropolitan areas.
Yesterday, the SARChI Chair in Multilevel Government, Law & Policy hosted a Policy Dialogue featuring, Dr Douglas Singiza, who shared the reflections of 18 months of investigation of the Commission of Inquiry into Land in Uganda.
The Dullah Omar Institute's Women and Democracy Initiative, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and Public Service Accountability Monitor convened a Forum on Accountability of the Parliament Administration [FAPA] for civil society and the media on 22 January in Cape Town. The forum was to develop a civil society approach to Parliament Administration Accountability.
On 20 and 21 February 2019, the Socio-Economic Rights project hosted a Community Leaders Workshop. Given the important roles community leaders play in facilitating and realising access to justice for vulnerable and marginalised groups in society, the aim of this workshop was to empower community leaders by equipping them with information on the link between elections and service delivery.
The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation [IJR], the Dullah Omar Institute [DOI], the Public Service Accountability Monitor [PSAM], and a growing number of civil society organisations have noted with serious concern the recent Protest Suicide of Lennox Mzuhleli Garane, Section Manager: Multilateral Relations in International Relations and Protocol Division of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Mr. Garane died by Protest Suicide in his office on the Parliament Precinct on 14 September 2018. We wish to extend our sincere condolences to the Garane family for their tragic loss.
The Dullah Omar Institute for Constitutional Law, Governance and Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Western Cape is pleased to announce a one-year fulltime post-doctoral fellowship for 2019. The post-doctoral fellow will be based at the Children’s Rights Project. The fellow will be tasked with conducting research in areas related to children’s rights, especially with a focus on issues pertaining to the African Union. The fellow will also be expected to produce at least three publications.
Municipal debt to Eskom has reportedly reached R17 billion. The rate of growth has however shifted from exponential to linear.
