Programme News
10 November 2014
(News)
The crux of the case against Chippy Shaik – if such a case exists – is that he was key to influencing the awarding of bids to arms companies. This allegedly resulted in dodgy tender awards at hugely inflated prices – an allegation Shaik has denied.
But you would never know this just by listening to his evidence at the arms deal commission this week.
Shaik, who now lives in Perth...
5 November 2014
(News)
The murder of Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa predictably led to angry calls for the re-introduction of the death penalty in South Africa. For both principled and practical reasons I do not believe the state should have the power to put to death those found guilty of serious crimes. Here is why.
South Africans who campaign for a re-introduction of the death penalty usually advance one of two...
3 November 2014
(News)
There is “something fundamentally wrong” in the way the home affairs department handles the repatriation of migrants, High Court in Pretoria Judge Eberhard Bertelsmann said on Friday.
“We have had the case of [Khalfan Khamis] Mohamed and the case of Emmanuel Tsebe, now we have the case of Edwin Samotse. Not only is it the same problem, but the failure to protect the...
31 October 2014
(Press release)
Judgment has been reserved in the North Gauteng High Court after the Departments of Home Affairs and International Relations were called to report back to court on the steps taken following the unlawful deportation of Botswana national Edwin Samotse.
Samotse was deported from Polokwane Prison on 13 August this year despite an order of non-surrender from the Minister of Justice. Samotse is charged...
31 October 2014
(News)
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) welcomed the Constitutional Court's order on Thursday that South African police investigate claims of torture against senior Zimbabwean officials.
“We are quite happy that the Constitutional Court has come out so strongly in favour of full implementation of South Africa's Rome Statute Act,” LHR co-ordinator David Cote said in a statement...
31 October 2014
(News)
The SAPS said on Thursday it will comply with the Constitutional Court's order to investigate claims of torture against senior Zimbabwean officials.
“In principle, this is the end of the matter. We are required to comply with the judgment,” national police spokesman Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale said.
“We only got the judgment today. Our legal team is looking at it.”...
31 October 2014
(News)
SA’s police must investigate allegations of torture by Zimbabwean authorities in the run-up to Zimbabwe’s 2008 election, the Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered.
The judgment broke new ground in SA’s international law obligations, ruling that even though the alleged torture was committed in Zimbabwe, by Zimbabweans, of Zimbabweans, the South African Police Service...
30 October 2014
(Press release)
In a ground-breaking judgment, the South African Constitutional Court has unanimously ruled that the South African Police Service (SAPS) must investigate crimes against humanity perpetrated in Zimbabwe in 2007.
The so-called ‘Zimbabwe torture case’ was brought by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) and the Zimbabwean Exiles Forum (ZEF) to compel South Africa to abide by...
30 October 2014
(Press release)
Lawyers for Human Rights welcomes today’s Constitutional Court ruling that the South African Police Service must investigate crimes against humanity committed in Zimbabwe.
This landmark case began in 2008 when the South Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) handed over a dossier of evidence of these crimes to the SAPS and National Prosecuting Authority. The evidence dealt specifically with...
30 October 2014
(News)
The Constitutional Court in a landmark case ruled unanimously that the South African Police Service (SAPS) are obliged to investigate allegations of torture committed in Zimbabwe, which were reported to them.
In a judgment handed down on Thursday, the court held that “the SAPS had a duty to investigate crimes against humanity of torture allegedly committed in Zimbabwe…where the...