Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa

Latest News 

• Vacancy for Paralegal/Candidate Attorney in the SERI Law Clinic, 16 May 2012. The SERI Law Clinic has a vacancy for a paralegal to commence work as soon as possible. Read more about the position here.

• Court declares Soweto woman customary law heir to prevent eviction, 9 May 2012. On 8 May 2012, the Johannesburg High Court declared that a girl taken in and treated as a daughter by a woman in Soweto could inherit as her customary law heir, even though she was never formally adopted. This outcome is important, as there is currently an eviction case in the Magistrate's Court pending the outcome of the woman's status. A relative is attempting to evict her and two other people living at the family home. >>Read the press release here.

• Complaint lodged with Rental Housing Tribunal in terms of Maphango judgment, 2 May 2012. In accordance with the Constitutional Court's order in the Maphango case, on 2 May 2012 the occupiers lodged a formal complaint with the Gauteng Rental Housing Tribunal. A hearing will take place in due course. >>Read the complaint here and more on the Maphango case here.

• Op-ed by Stuart Wilson in the Daily Maverick on socio-economic rights, 20 April 2012. In an opinion piece entitled "Taking Liberties: Ivo Vegter on Socio-economic Rights", Stuart responds to an op-ed by Ivo Vegter called "Rights are not entitlements" (published in the Daily Maverick on 10 April 2012). >>Read Ivo's article here and Stuart's response here.

• High Court suspends Con Court's eviction order in Blue Moonlight case, 13 April 2012. The Johannesburg High Court has temporarily suspended the execution of the Blue Moonlight eviction order until 2 May 2012 and ordered the City to provide shelter to the occupiers by 30 April 2012. The City is required to report back to the residents on its progress, and a site visit has also been ordered to examine the proposed new accommodation. On 13 April, two days before an eviction order was due to be executed by the owner on the occupiers of 7 Saratoga avenue, the City had not provided alternative accommodation to the residents. Facing imminent eviction and homelessness, the residents and their legal representatives, CALS, approached the High Court on an urgent basis. >>Read the CALS and SERI press release here.

• Magistrate strikes Thembelihle case from roll, 11 April 2012. On 10 April 2012, the Protea Regional Court struck from the roll a criminal case brought against 14 residents of Thembelihle informal settlement (including 3 minors). The residents were arrested in September 2011 following protests at the settlement over access to housing and electricity. >>Read the press release here and more on the case here.

• Con Court ruling could make residents homeless, 30 March 2012. The Constitutional Court has dismissed an application by 100 poor inner city residents to give effect to the order it handed down in City of Johannesburg v Blue Moonlight Properties on 1 December 2011. >>Read the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) and SERI press release here and more on the Blue Moonlight case here.

• Con Court hands down judgment in Maphango case, 13 March 2012. In a majority judgment written by Cameron J, the Court found that that the High Court and SCA failed to give adequate weight to the Rental Housing Act and that the landlord’s conduct may have amounted to an “unfair practice”. The Rental Housing Tribunal is empowered to determine whether a landlord committed an “unfair practice”, and it might accordingly have ruled in the tenants’ favour. The applicants are directed to lodge a complaint with the Tribunal before 2 May 2012. >>Read the judgment here and summary of judgment here. >>Read the SERI press release here.