Universal adult suffrage on a common voters roll is one of the foundational values of our entire constitutional order. The achievement of the franchise has historically been important both for the acquisition of the rights of full and effective citizenship by all South Africans regardless of race, and for the accomplishment of an all-embracing nationhood. The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood. Quite literally, it says that everybody counts. In a country of great disparities of wealth and power it declares that whoever we are, whether rich or poor, exalted or disgraced, we all belong to the same democratic South African nation; that our destinies are intertwined in a single interactive polity.
Many churches or other religious institutions discriminate unfairly against fellow South Africans on the ground of sexual orientation because their […]
Frans Cronje, the CEO of the Institute for Race Relations recently argued that the debate on land rights constitute “a […]
If you are poor and black and live in South Africa (especially in a rural town), you do not enjoy […]
When faced with a crisis or awkward questions about their competence or their ability to deliver on their election promises, […]
“Prejudice,” warned former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo in the judgment of Hoffmann v South African Airways, “can never justify unfair […]
I am not a tribalist and I am opposed to tribalism in all its forms, whether practiced by Zulu nationalists […]
I am a bit nervous to raise the topic. People get very, very cross when one says the “wrong” thing […]
When Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng was nominated to that position, it was revealed that he happened to be a pastor in […]
The United States of America Declaration of Independence famously states that: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all […]
Because my parents were members of the Dutch Reformed Church, I had to attend the church service and Sunday school every […]
I hope you all had a great freedom day and took a moment to cherish the wonder of living in […]
Carl Niehaus, spin-doctor for the ANC who appropariately studied to be a dominee (seeing that Jacob Zuma has said the ANC […]
I was happy to note that Mr Jacob Zuma earlier this week recommitted the ANC to upholding the Constitution and […]
Where does freedom of religion end and respect for the constitutional values of equality and dignity begin? I ask because […]
One of the things that struck me about the furore following revelations about the making of a racist and humiliating […]
The Afrikaans Sunday newspaper, Rapport, is not on my list of must-read publications. Ever since it paid Wit Wolf Barend […]
My take, published in Die Burger today, on the argument made by Dutch Reformed Church Dominees that the Bible tells […]
President Thabo Mbeki has been roundly criticised for last Friday’s ANC Today letter on racism and crime. I suppose given […]