CALS Quarterly Issue 24
- Lee-Anne Bruce
Read the latest issue of our quarterly newsletter and catch up on our recent highlights
This year, CALS and our partners at the Right2Protest Project were pleased to have been accredited with observer status at the recent national election. Members of our organisations were posted at voting stations around Gauteng to observe the voting and ballot counting, ensuring that the elections took place in a manner that was consistent with the Constitution. There can be no greater evidence of a thriving democracy than free, fair and regular elections.
In other civil and political justice news, CALS continues on our campaign to address strategic litigation against public participation – otherwise known as ‘SLAPP’ suits. On 13 June, we will be in the Mahikeng High Court representing two environmental activists in an interdict brought by Tharisa Mine. We also recently launched a model law for protection from SLAPP suits, which we hope will act as a guide for Parliament on drafting legislation that can ensure maximum protection of human rights defenders against the abuse of legal processes to curtail public participation.
CALS continues to assist community clients who are struggling to realise their rights to basic services in both rural and urban areas. We represent over 1,200 people from the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape who have approached the High Court to compel the municipality to provide access to water in their villages. On the other hand, clients from the Zondi area of Soweto recently sought to lay criminal charges against City of Johannesburg officials for failing to comply with a court order directing them to provide bulk infrastructure. Read our Thuto Gabaphethe and Thandeka Kathi’s thoughts on this strategy here.
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