Last week, on 18 July, Nelson Mandela would have turned 100. Without a doubt his legacy is summarised in section 9 of the Constitution — the equality clause. Madiba always frowned upon inequality, racial discrimination and generally any form of discrimination that was unfair. He was born into a world order where racial segregation and […]
On 10 July 2018, hundreds of South African men and women gathered together in Pretoria in a unified march against violence toward women and children. While their chants of “no means no” reverberated through the blocks surrounding Madiba Street and the Union Buildings, a symbolic torch was lit to commemorate the day and to […]
Strike season seems to be an annual occurrence in South Africa. But how does it impact our economy, employers, and the striking employees themselves? After strikes, there seems to no real post-strike economic evaluation conducted by government, unions, employers, or strikers themselves to avoid the barrage of strikes that cripple our economy. Employers never […]
The South African Police Service has had some bad press over the past few years. SAPS members being found to be members of criminal gangs and perpetrators robberies, pictures of members sleeping on the job and incidents of corruption and ineptitude have all tarnished the service’s reputation. So, it is good to hear some positive […]
Most South-Africans are completely dependent on their vehicles to get to and from work. In some instances the vehicle may even be required for the execution of their work. Imagine being a sales representative who drives to various potential clients to pitch and sell a product and becoming a victim of a road accident […]
There was a time that the road death toll and gruesome car accidents only made the news over the December holidays and the Easter weekend. This slowly extended to all long weekends. Now, it seems, every weekend there is a spate of deadly and gruesome accidents across the country. How long before it is a […]
On 4 July last year, Judge Tolmay of the Gauteng North High Court in Pretoria ruled in favour of South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association’s (“SA Hunters”) application, declaring sections 24 and 28 of the Firearms Control Act (Act 60 of 2000) unconstitutional. Section 24(1) of the Act required for the renewal of a […]
South African laws changed the lives of many black people who entered into customary marriages after 15 November 2000 for the better. Some might say work still needs to be done in this area, but legislation has made strides to bridge the gaps that were inherent in the Apartheid era. Before 15 November 2000, black […]
One of the days to be remembered by many, perhaps most, South Africans could be Tuesday the 29thof May 2018, when Parliament passed the National Minimum Wage Bill (together with the Basic Conditions of Employment Bill and the Labour Relations Amendment Bill). The main motive behind the National Minimum Wage is to better the lives […]
Copyright law is admittedly a complex area which covers a wide spectrum, not least because of the arcane architecture of Copyright Act 98 of 1978 as well as attendant litigious work embarked on over the years. Nevertheless, it is of paramount importance to understand the pillars underlying this lucrative area of Law, especially for an […]
In South Africa, there are many single parents who are struggling to make ends meet while the other parent does not commit to supporting their child/ren. Chapter 2 section 28 of the Constitution specifically talks to Children rights. The Children’s Act states that: “In all matters concerning the care, protection and well-being of a child, […]
Today we celebrate Amnesty International day. This day commemorates the day Peter Beneson decided to launch a one year campaign called “Appeal for Amnesty 1961” as well as the fact that this appeal turned into an international organisation advocating for and protecting the rights of what Beneson referred to as “prisoners of conscience” within one […]
Following on the heels of the state’s successful appeals to firstly upgrade Oscar Pistorius’ conviction from culpable homicide to murder and then to increase his sentence and Christopher Panayiotou’s conviction of the murder of his wife, Jade, Henri van Breda was this week found guilty of murdering his parents and his brother, seriously injuring his […]
Refusing to go to work because your employer hasn’t paid your salary yet? Beware – your refusal could lead to disciplinary actions against you. It often happens that employees do not get paid on the date set out in their employment contracts. When this happens, some employees decided not to attend work until they get […]
It is a general principle in our law that no person may act on behalf of another unless he has the necessary authority to do so. Such authorisation is referred to as a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney is a formal document in terms of which someone gives an agent the authority to […]