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A P T
H E
C R
C H 1 R
A E
P T
THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTITUTION
AND BILL OF RIGHTS
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
What is a constitution? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
What is a democracy?
Development of constitutions in South Africa .......................................................... 5
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
CODESA
........................................................................................................................................................... 5
The Multi-party Negotiating Process
........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
The Constitutional Assembly (CA)
The South African Constitution ................................................................................................................. 5
........................................................................... 6
The relationship between the Constitution and other laws
................................................................................................................................................. 7
Changing or amending the Constitution
......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
The separation of powers
The legislature ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
The executive ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
The judiciary
.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
The spheres of government
Summary of the Constitution ......................................................................................................................... 9
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Preamble
.............................................................................................................................. 9
Chapter 1: Founding provisions Sections1–6
Chapter 2: The Bill of Rights ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Chapter 3: Co-operative government ............................................................................................................................................................ 10
Chapter 4: Parliament ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
The National Assembly
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) ................................................................................................................................... 11
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Making laws
Chapter 5: The president and the national executive ................................................................................................. 12
The president ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
The cabinet .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Chapter 6: Provinces
......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Provincial legislatures
............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Provincial executives
Powers of the provinces .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
11
Chapter 7: Local government .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Who can vote in local government elections?
...................................................................................................................... 14
Powers of local government ................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Chapter 8: Courts and administration of justice
................................................................................................................... 14
The Constitutional Court
............................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
The Supreme Court of Appeal
.............................................................................................................................................................................. 16
High Courts
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 16
Magistrate’s Courts .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
How judges are chosen
..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Chapter 9: State institutions that support constitutional democracy
...................................... 16
Chapter 10: Public administration
........................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Chapter 11: Security services
........................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 12: Traditional authorities
.................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 13: Finance
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
The National Revenue Fund
..................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
The Financial and Fiscal Commission
...................................................................................................................................................... 17
How taxes are budgeted
................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Chapter 14: General provisions
.................................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Human rights ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
What are human rights?
............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Indivisibility of rights
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Rights and responsibilities
................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Conflicts in rights
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
International documents on human rights
........................................................................................................................................ 20
Creating a human rights culture in South Africa
............................................................................................................... 21
Summary of the South African Bill of Rights ............................................................ 21
Section 7: Introduction
................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Section 8: Application of the Bill of Rights
..................................................................................................................................... 21
Section 9: Right to equality
................................................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Section 10: Right to human dignity
................................................................................................................................................................. 23
Section 11: Right to life
............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Section 12: Freedom and security of the person
.................................................................................................................. 24
Section 13: Slavery, servitude and forced labour
............................................................................................................... 24
Section 14: Right to privacy
.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
Section 15: Freedom of religion, belief and opinion
................................................................................................... 25
Section 16: Freedom of speech and expression
....................................................................................................................... 25
Section 17: Freedom of assembly, demonstration, picket and petition
.............................. 25
Section 18: Freedom of association
................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Section 19: Political rights
.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Section 20: Citizenship
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
............................................................................................................. 26
Section 21: Freedom of movement and residence
Section 22: Freedom of trade, occupation and profession
.............................................................................. 26
2
Section 23: Labour relations ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Section 24: Environment
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Section 25: Property
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Section 26: Right of access to housing
....................................................................................................................................................... 27
Section 27: Right of access to health care, food, water and social security
............. 28
Section 28: Children’s rights
............................................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Section 29: Education
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Section 30: Language and culture
........................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Section 31: Cultural, religious and linguistic communities
........................................................................... 29
Section 32: Access to information
........................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Section 33: Just administrative action
....................................................................................................................................................... 29
Section 34: Access to courts
............................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Section 35: Arrested, detained and accused persons
................................................................................................... 32
Section 36: Limitations on rights
.......................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Section 37: States of emergency
.............................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Section 38: Enforcing rights
.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Section 39: Interpreting the Bill of Rights
......................................................................................................................................... 34
Protecting human rights ............................................................................................................................................ 34
The Public Protector
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
How is the Public Protector appointed?
........................................................................................................................................... 35
The functions of the Public Protector
.................................................................................................................................................. 35
What can the Public Protector do?
............................................................................................................................................................ 35
Making a complaint to the Public Protector
............................................................................................................................ 35
South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)
.................................................................................................... 36
Making a complaint to the SAHRC
............................................................................................................................................................ 36
Commission on Gender Equality (CGE)
..................................................................................................................................................... 36
What can the CGE do?
....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Making a complaint to the CGE
....................................................................................................................................................................... 37
The Auditor General
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Commission for the Promotion and Protection of
the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities
(Cultural Commission) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
............................................................................................................................................... 37
Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)
............................................. 37
Land Claims Commission (LCC)
.................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Problems
1: Taking a case to the South African Human Rights Commission ............................................. 38
2: Making a complaint to the Public Protector ......................................................................................................................... 38
3: Taking a case to the Commission on Gender Equality .................................................................................. 39
Checklist ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 40
Reporting human rights complaints ................................................................................................................................................................. 40
RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 677
3
Introduction
In 1994, after decades of living under an apartheid government, the first
democratic election was held in South Africa. For the first time South Africa could
call itself a democracy because everyone who was a citizen of South Africa could
vote in the elections. The Constitutional Assembly was constituted with the task of
drawing up a Constitution to represent the interests and needs of all the people of
South Africa. Included in the Constitution was a Bill of Rights which gives people
rights and responsibilities.
WHAT IS A CONSTITUTION?
A constitution of a country sets out:
• The social values that the country believes in
• The structures of government
• What powers and authority a government and government bodies have
• The rights of citizens
• The relationship between government and citizens
• Aspects of the relationships between citizens
A constitution is the highest law in the land and must be respected by all
government bodies. It is higher than parliament and it can override any law that
parliament makes if the law goes against the constitution. No law can go against
the Constitution, whether it is a Customary law or a law that parliament makes.
The South African Constitution of 1996 is a document that consists of 14 chapters.
It says how the government should rule the country and it includes a Bill of Rights.
WHAT IS A DEMOCRACy?
Democracy means that everyone has a say about how the country is run. In a
democracy, the government is put into power by its citizens. The adult citizens of
a democracy elect their government. One way they do this is by choosing people
to represent them in a parliament. In a multi-party system, the party that gets the
majority votes governs the country.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT IDENTIFY A DEMOCRACY
Citizens can participate in government their own work and join labour unions.
It is everyone's right and duty to participate in government. Controlling abuse of power
All people are equal before the law There must be ways to prevent government officials from
There is no legal discrimination based on race, religion, abusing their power. The courts are independent from the
gender or other reason. Groups and individuals have a right government, and there are other bodies that have the power
to their own cultures, languages, beliefs and so on. to act against corrupt government officials.
Political tolerance Human rights
Various opinions, beliefs, cultures, religions and so on need Democracies aim to respect and protect the human rights
to be tolerated. So, while the majority of the people rule in a of all and often use a Bill of Rights to do so. .
democracy, the rights of the minority must still be protected. Multi-party system
Accountability A multi-party system means that more than one political
Officials that are elected and appointed in government party can participate in elections, so that people can choose
are accountable to the people for actions and decisions. who they want to represent them in government.
Transparency The rule of law
In a democracy, people and the media (newspapers, tv, radio) No one is above the law, including the president. This means
can get information about what government decisions are that the law must treat everyone in an equal and fair way.
being made, by whom and for what reason. The separation of powers between
Regular, free and fair elections different arms of government
Citizens choose their own representatives for government. The Legislature (parliament) made up of people’s representa-
They elect these officials in a free and fair way, without cor- tives, make the laws and policies. The Executive (cabinet)
ruption and votes are secret. Elections are held regularly. implement and oversee the public service. The Judiciary act
Economic freedom as independent referees to interpret the law when there are
People can own property and businesses and they can choose disputes or conflicts or someone breaks the law.
(See page 62 Public participation)
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