HSF briefs

This is the first in a series of Briefs dealing with elections in South Africa. This Brief unpacks some of the main components of the South African General Elections.

In December 2013, the HSF received favourable judgement in the case of Helen Suzman Foundation v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others. The case involved the HSF’s on-going engagement with the establishment of independent policing and prosecutorial bodies that are sufficiently protected from political interference. The full bench of the Western Cape High Court found certain sections of the SAPS Amendment Act 2012 (the “Amendment Act”) to be unconstitutional to the extent that they undermine the structural and operational independence of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI – also known as "the Hawks"). The HSF maintains that independent anti-corruption units are a vital part of the institutional State apparatus in South Africa and welcomes the unanimous judgement of the High Court.

The first 2014 Roundtable on Equity and Redress took place on February 6th. The event was chaired by the director of the Helen Suzman Foundation, Francis Antonie, and featured Lindiwe Mazibuko, Songezo Zibi and Eusebius McKaiser. This brief summarises some of the main themes of the evening.

This brief provides a summary of the 2013 Helen Suzman Memorial Lecture delivered by Justice Zakeria Mohammed Yacoob.

This brief provides a summary of the HSF’s recent roundtable on the National Development Plan.

Minister Trevor Manuel's full speech as presented at the Helen Suzman Foundation's roundtable event on the National Development Plan, 4 November 2013.

This brief provides a breakdown of the events leading up to the Rivonia Primary School case and a brief analysis on what the outcome of the case means for schools. 17 October 2013

This brief presents some of the main points raised in the HSF roundtable ‘Title and Entitlement: The Land Question in South Africa’