‘Unprecedented’ is an over-used word, especially in political discourse, but for a government to institute a judicial commission of enquiry into facts which are – or ought to be – uniquely within the knowledge of that government, must be close to unprecedented. Response – The Lady R – Subterfuge or Just Asleep at the Wheel by Mike […]
On 14th April, the Gauteng High Court declared that certain regulations, published in General Notice 1426 in the Gauteng Provincial Gazette 4114 of 24th November 2021, were invalid to the extent that they required pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under the age of six who were not beneficiaries of a medical aid scheme, to undergo a classification […]
Two unrelated occurrences within the last couple of weeks illustrate, very starkly, the combination of factors that make the rebuilding and progress of our country extremely difficult. On the one hand, continued government incompetence and ineptitude; on the other, an alarming lack of social solidarity. Response – A Fatal Combination by Mike Pothier
On 30th March this year the Holy See formally repudiated the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’. This doctrine should not be understood as a religious doctrine, but rather as a particular jurisprudence which emerged in European and American legal thinking. However, it was built solidly on concepts articulated particularly in three 15th century Bulls (papal decrees), namely, Dum Diversas 1452, […]
In January 2018, shortly after he became president of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the party’s 106th birthday celebrations in East London. Eagerly wielding a new broom, he said, “As you can see, this year we started on time. It’s a clear signal that things are changing. The NEC meeting also started on time. Nelson […]
It is no secret that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) is a pandemic in South Africa. On 17th February the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, delivered an overview of the 2022/2023 quarter three crime statistics. There had been an 11.6% rise in all forms of contact crimes, with murder increasing by 10.1% and a 9.6% […]
Last week the Acting Judge President of the Western Cape High Court, Judge Patricia Goliath, handed down a far-reaching judgement in which she declared sections 22(12)&(13) of the Refugees Act 130 of 1998, as well as Regulation 9 and Form 3 of the regulations under the Act, to be unconstitutional. She directed that the legislation […]
The beginning of the school year sadly brought with it more indefensible xenophobic, anti-constitutional activity, this time aimed in the main against foreign nationals in the Gauteng area. According to the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Holders Association, several schools in that region refused to admit the children of the ZEP holders to school this year on […]
