The Centre’s mission is to uphold the constitutional accord of 1993-1996, as articulated in the 1996 Constitution
The Constitution is of crucial importance for every person who lives in South Africa:
- It guarantees our most basic rights, including our right to life, freedom, property and to participate freely in our democratic system.
- It articulates the values for which the new South Africa stands and the goals for which we strive;
- It actively promotes the equality of all South Africans and prohibits unfair discrimination of any kind. It entrenches our right to practice our religion and to speak and educate our children in the language and cultural traditions of our choice.
The Constitution is particularly important for a country like South Africa, with a complex population and a history of division and conflict. It provides a blueprint for peace, justice and harmony that was freely negotiated and accepted by parties representing substantial majorities from all our communities.
The Constitution is also especially important for cultural, political and religious minorities. The majority can usually secure its interests through its control of Parliament and the levers of state power. Minorities on the other hand are often dependent on the Constitution and the law for the protection of their most important interests.
It is accordingly of the greatest importance that the Constitution should be implemented and honoured in the spirit and letter in which it was negotiated.
The right to land tenure and land ownership is inextricably linked to the right to human dignity. As a result, any question of land reform raises intense political emotion. Since security of land tenure is also the cornerstone of a free market open democracy, it also has enormous economic significance. It is thus not surprising that the draft Expropriation Bill recently released has met with such strong reaction.
Two unlikely and unwitting litigants from the Eastern Cape have emerged as champions of the cause aimed at preserving the scorpions or, to give them their official name, the members of the DSO of the NPA. (Directorate of Special Operations of the National Prosecuting Authority). One is a school principal named Rufinus Nakin and the other a traffic manager named Litha Giyose.
The Judicial Services Commission is meeting today to consider the complaint of the Constitutional Court against Judge President John Hlophe. It will be chaired by Supreme Court of Appeal President Justice Craig Howie who has made it clear that today's meeting will be procedural and is intended only to decide on the way forward.
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