Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The rights entrenched in the Bill of Rights in South Africa’s final Constitution are, with a few
exceptions, guaranteed to citizens and non-citizens alike. South Africa has seen an influx of
migrants, asylum seekers and refugees since 1994, and this migratory movement has posed
significant challenges to the post-apartheid legal order. This thesis is concerned with the
State’s implementation of its constitutional obligations to protect and guarantee the
constitutional rights of everyone within the borders of South Africa.
It is important that these constitutional obligations do not remain mere aspirations but should
translate into reality. Most non-citizens living in South Africa face numerous barriers to
accessing justice and the processes that could enable them to realise their rights. The thesis
examines the concept of “access to justice” and investigates a number of obstacles
encountered by different categories of non-citizens – such as refugees, asylum seekers and
documented and undocumented migrants – in trying to access justice and to realise their
rights.
Against this background, arrest, detention and deportation under the Immigration Act and
Refugees Act are examined because these processes have often been abused by State officials
to prevent non-citizens from accessing the rights and protections guaranteed in these Acts and
the Constitution, and to frustrate the implementation of court orders vindicating the rights of
non-citizens. The application of the Immigration and Refugees Acts is discussed through the
lens of sections 12(1), 33, 34 and 35(2) of the Constitution which ensure that arrest, detention
and deportation are done in a lawful and procedurally fair manner, as opposed to the
arbitrariness that most non-citizens experience on a daily basis. Secondly, the thesis also examines access to justice for non-citizens in the context of
xenophobia and bias based crimes. The State has in the past failed to respond in a coordinated
and timely fashion in the face of violent manifestations of xenophobia. Against this
background, the State’s obligation to protect non-citizens from violence from either public or
private sources in terms of section 12(1)(c) of the Constitution is discussed and analysed. The
role, accessibility and effectiveness of Equality Courts are also examined in light of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act and the cases that were
brought before them emanating from xenophobic incidents.
The thesis concludes with proposals on areas which require better implementation of existing
laws; and areas in which legislative reform is needed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die regte wat in die Handves van Regte in Suid-Afrika se finale Grondwet veranker is, word
op enkele uitsonderings na vir burgers en nie-burgers gewaarborg. Sedert 1994 het Suid-
Afrika instroming van migrante, asielsoekers en vlugtelinge beleef, en hierdie verskuiwing
het wesenlike uitdagings aan die post-apartheid regsorde gestel. Hierdie tesis is gemoeid met
die Staat se implementering van sy grondwetlike verpligting om die grondwetlike regte van
almal wat hul binne Suid-Afrika se landsgrense bevind, te beskerm en te waarborg.
Dit is belangrik dat hierdie grondwetlike verpligtinge nie blote aspirasies bly nie, maar ’n
werklikheid word. Die meeste nie-burgers wat in Suid-Afrika woon staar talle hindernisse in
die gesig wat dit vir hulle moeilik maak om toegang tot geregtigheid te verkry en om hul
regte te verwesenlik. Die tesis ondersoek die begrip “toegang tot geregtigheid” en bekyk
aantal struikelblokke in die weg van verskillende kategorieë nie-burgers – soos vlugtelinge,
asielsoekers en gedokumenteerde en nie-gedokumenteerde migrante – wat toegang tot
geregtigheid probeer verkry en hul regte probeer verwesenlik.
Teen hierdie agtergrond word arrestasie, aanhouding en deportering ingevolge die Wet op
Immigrasie en die Wet op Vlugtelinge ondersoek, aangesien hierdie prosesse dikwels deur
staatsamptenare misbruik word om nie-burgers te verhinder om toegang te verkry tot die
regte en beskermings wat in hierdie wetgewing en in die Grondwet gewaarborg word, en om
geregtelike bevele wat die regte van nie-burgers afdwing, te verydel. Die toepassing van die
Wet op Immigrasie en die Wet op Vlugtelinge word deur die lens van artikels 12(1), 33, 34
en 35(2) van die Grondwet bespreek, wat probeer verseker dat arrestasie, aanhouding en
deportering op regmatige en prosedureel billike manier geskied, in teenstelling met die
willekeur wat nie-burgers op daaglikse basis ervaar. Tweedens ondersoek die tesis toegang tot geregtigheid vir nie-burgers in die konteks van
vreemdelingehaat en misdade wat op vooroordeel gebaseer is. Die Staat het in die verlede in
gebreke gebly om in die aangesig van gewelddadige manifesterings van vreemdelingehaat op
gekoördineerde en tydige manier te reageer. Die Staat se verpligting om ingevolge artikel
12(1)(c) van die Grondwet nie-burgers teen geweld van hetsy openbare hetsy private
oorsprong te beskerm, word bespreek en ontleed. Die rol, toeganklikheid en doeltreffendheid
van gelykheidshowe word ook bespreek in die lig van die Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act en die sake wat deur hierdie howe beslis is wat uit
xenofobiese voorvalle voortspruit.
Die tesis sluit af met voorstelle oor terreine waar beter implementering van bestaande
wetgewing benodig word, asook terreine waar wetgewende hervorming verlang word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/86576 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Matshakaile, Thabani Nkosiyapha |
| Contributors | Botha, Henk, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Public Law. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | x, 179 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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