Students of a constitutional law course were urged to assist Alex residents in promoting their rights against abuse which is said to threaten democracy in the country.
This was said at the graduation ceremony of 25 graduates who completed a six-month course on constitutional democracy conducted by law firm ENSAfrica. The firm provides pro bono legal services to Alex residents and has run the course for the last four years. The graduates increase the pool of those trained to 100, and are selected from social and political activists, development practitioners, shop stewards, police officers and teachers who, the firm expect, will assist the community on rights-related issues.
Addressing the graduates, Deputy Public Protector Advocate Kevin Malunga, said the public protector handled thousands of cases of human rights abuse annually which was a concern to everyone, especially those well positioned to assist the poor and disempowered. He said some of the cases involved abuse committed by State officials, including the executives who should be upholding the Constitution.
He added that evidence of this is the poor state of governance in Alexandra where accountability was questionable with poor service delivery and allegations of corruption leading to uneasiness among residents. This he said in reference to housing and other basic service delivery problems which have beset the township for many years.
Malunga urged the graduates to contribute to the limited State capacity in checking against abuses. “Your qualification enables you to [educate] residents about measures at their disposal to enable them access and secure their socio-economic rights and equality. This, though, requires you to have an impeccable character [so] the public respects you as their guardians against corruption.”
Commissioner Mohamed Ameermia of the SA Human Rights Commission urged the graduates to be intermediaries for communities. He said a recent survey by the commission revealed that only 10 percent of the population knew the contents of the Constitution.
Advocate Ngwako Raboshakga, of the firm, urged the graduates to apply what they had learned into daily practice by helping residents access their socio-economic rights. “It’s important that you transform the knowledge from being symbolic to a resourceful asset to society.”
