I stand here today, along with the memory of Advocate Dullah Omar and the principles of justice and equality he stood for, urging us not to spare the strength or courage required to collectively soul search and move us closer to the South Africa enshrined in the dreams of our Freedom Charter and Constitution. This were the words by renowed humanitarian and international advocate for the rule of law, governance and human rights, Graça Machel during the 11th Dullah Omar Memorial Lecture which took place on 3 October 2017 at the University of the Western Cape, organised by the the Dullah Omar Institute.
The Ugandan Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters is tasked by President Museveni to propose reforms to the land sector. Land administration in Uganda is plagued by corruption, land use is often uncontrolled and tenure systems are collapsing.
On 13 September 2017, the Socio-Economic Rights project at the Dullah Omar Institute based at the University of the Western Cape organised a Roundtable Discussion on Just Cities.
On Friday 8 September, Dr Louis Scheepers, the Executive Director for Area-Based Planning in the City of Cape Town and former Municipal Manager of Saldanha Bay, delivered a guest lecture to the LLM/Mphil class in Multilevel Government. He introduced the students to "Integrated Development Planning" the principal strategic planning instrument in local government.
ACJR's Gwen Dereymaeker presentation made at the seminar organised by the South African Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services on super-maximum prisons on 7 September 2017 at the Durban Correctional Centre.
The Dullah Omar Institute is delighted to announce that the founder of the Graça Machel Foundation,Graça Machel is set to deliver the 11th Dullah Omar Memorial Lecture on 03 October 2017. The Dullah Omar Memorial Lecture Series celebrates the memory of the former Minister of Justice and the first director of the Community Law Centre (now the Dullah Omar Institute), Adv Dullah Omar, who worked tirelessly towards, and achieved so much, in realising the goals of human rights and democracy.
On 31 August, Prof Jaap de Visser led a workshop on land use planning to inform the PHA Food & Farming Campaign
On 16 & 17 August, Prof Jaap de Visser took part in the Council of Speakers, a gathering of all municipal speakers. In municipalities, the speaker chairs all council meetings and enforces the Code of Conduct for Councillors.
Mr Mario Baatjies, Deputy Director of the Western Cape Department of Local Government delivered a guest lecture to the LLM/Mphil students in Multilevel Government.
On Monday 21 August, Mr Chris Nissen, Commissioner of the South African Human Rights Commission visited the Dullah Omar Institute. Commissioner Nissen and the Institute share a connection with the late Adv Dullah Omar as the two worked together intensively as activists. The meeting, attended by senior staff of the Institute, focused on how the two organisations can intensify their collaborative efforts towards achieving social justice.
Dr Tinashe Chigwata, a researcher with Applied Constitutional Studies Laboratory presented at the Local Government Investment Conference which was held at the Harare International Conference Centre from the 7th to 9th of August 2017. Dr Chigwata presented a paper titled: “Local government financing in Zimbabwe: (re)positioning local authorities as investment drivers”. He also chaired a session on promoting sustainable local economic development.
Yesterday, in commemoration of women’s month, the Socio-Economic Rights Project (SERP) convened a one-day Stakeholders Engagement Workshop on Involuntary Sterilisation of Women in South Africa as Gender-Based Violence.
