News

The 4th Industrial Revolution is transforming society at every level. Dullah Omar Institute's Applied Constitutional Studies Laboratory together with the Law Faculty at the University of the Western Cape held a seminar on the 15th of February to examine the impact on law and government in the digital age.

The Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) in Kenya on 12 March 2019 issued practice directions on how to handle the offence of touting. This offence was among the many offences identified as petty and was the subject of extensive stakeholder engagement to have it decriminalised. The Office of the DPP conducted a further research ,and paid visits to select remand facilities in Kenya in partnership with ICJ Kenya and other stakeholders. The findings of the research informed the decision by the DPP to issue practice directions on how to deal with the offence of touting.

The Socio-Economic Rights project hosted a Community Engagement Workshop on 6 and 7 March 2019. The workshop offered a platform for various community leaders and community activists with different backgrounds to discuss, network and share their knowledge on human rights and social justice in South Africa.

The South African Research Chair in Multilevel Government, Law and Policy, Prof Nico Steytler, invites you to a public dialogue with Mr Johann Mettler. He is an alumnus of UWC, is the City Manager of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and is currently fighting his suspension by the City Council.

A People’s Parliament means a Parliament that is accessible and responsive to the public yet Parliament’s performance on these constitutional principles are often a hit and miss. Parliament Watch monitor Sizwe Manqele shares some of his observations of the Portfolio Committee on Police meeting on 12 February 2019.

Renewed calls were made this week for policy certainty on undocumented children in South African schools as intimidation against them and school principals continues. The Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO) recently held a roundtable discussion on the challenges undocumented children face in schools. Advocacy officer at the Scalabrini Institute for Human Mobility in Africa Sindi Moyo said the situation is getting more difficult for these learners. According to her they have received reports of at least three principals that were fined by the Department of Home Affairs for allowing undocumented learners in schools. “We need urgent solutions and we need to move fast because the numbers are growing.”

The department of labour earlier announced that it will name and shame employers who fail to comply with the national minimum wage (NMW), yet its own systems are found lacking. A coalition of non-profit organisations ranging from shelters for abused women to organisations providing post-rape and other related care and residential facilities for older persons and people with disabilities raised concerns in a letter to the minister of labour Mildred Oliphant about problems they are experiencing with the online exemption system.

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.