The Social Justice Coalition launches the Irene Grootboom Community Lecture Series

The Social Justice Coalition announces the launch of the Irene Grootboom Community Lecture Series and a Programme of Action for the Social Justice Coalition (SJC).

The SJC will campaign to Protect and Advance Constitutional Rights and Freedoms; we will defend the independence and integrity of the Judiciary and focus on the need to build a community-based movement to address Safety and Security for All.

THE IRENE GROOTBOOM COMMUNITY LECTURE SERIES

In light of the recent attacks on the judiciary, the Constitution, and the poignant death of Irene Grootboom, the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) is launching a lecture series titled “The Irene Grootboom Community Lecture Series”. These lectures will address how the Constitutional Court and the judiciary have helped defend the rights of poor people and vulnerable groups.

Grootboom’s name is synonymous with the right to have adequate housing. Eight years ago on the 4^th October 2000, the Constitutional Court held that the government had a duty to house Irene Grootboom and her co-applicants including 390 adults and 510 children. Their informal homes in the Cape Town suburb of Wallacedene were bulldozed by the City Council. This landmark case set the precedent on the duty of government to implement reasonable programmes for housing health and other rights. This judgment was used by the Treatment Action Campaign to ensure that government implement an HIV prevention and treatment plan that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Despite winning the right for her fellow residents of Wallacedene informal settlement not to be evicted without adequate alternative accommodation, Grootboom herself died earlier this year without ever having gained access to formal housing. The lecture series aims to honour Irene Grootboom’s memory and the struggle of her community for housing and to carry forward the struggle.

Over the last 13 years, among many other cases, the Constitutional Court has protected:

· Homeless people Grootboom case

· People living with HIV/AIDS: cases of Hoffman and TAC

· People whose grants were unlawfully cancelled the case of Njongi

· Women who have been battered and raped: cases such as Carmichelle and K

· Equal rights for lesbian and gay people: National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality cases and the same-sex marriage of Fourie.

· Commuters who were unsafe on trains Rail Commuters Action Group and

· The constitutional rights of workers in the case of Sidumo

WHY A COMMUNITY LECTURE SERIES ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT JUDGMENTS?

Most of us have not heard of these judgments or realised how they can be used to improve our lives and society. The objective of the series is to educate both the members of the SJC and civil society about our constitutional rights and the landmark cases which have advanced and protected these rights. The lecture series will highlight the importance of the Constitution and the stake we all have in protecting it.

Justice Dennis Davis will launch the series with a member of the Grootboom family. Between the 10^th September 2008 and 15^th October 2008, six lectures will address the questions of the rights to housing, education, equality, safety and security as well as accountable, open and ethical government. The lectures will take place at Salt River community House from 6 pm.

Confirmed speakers include: Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Advocate Geoff Budlender, Ms Phumi Mtetwa, Professor Lorna Martin, Ms Fatima Hassan, Mr Zackie Achmat, Mr Mahamud Hirsi, Dr Judith February and Professor Louis Reynolds.

Invited speakers still to be confirmed: Judge Edwin Cameron, Mr. Mathatha Tsedu and Ms Nonkosi Khumalo.

LAUNCHING A PROGRAMME OF ACTION

The SJC aims to build a community-based movement to protect, advance and realise the rights in our Constitution and the independence of the judiciary. Above all, we want to build a sustained campaign in our communities on Safety and Security for All. In addition to the Grootboom Community Lecture Series, today, we are launching the following set of actions and events:

WHO AND WHAT IS THE SOCIAL JUSTICE COALITION

On 16 June 2008, in the wake of the xenophobic violence, the attacks on the Constitutional Court and the integrity of its judges, individuals from all walks of life agreed to form a Social Justice Coalition.

· We are a movement of individuals united across the divisions of race, gender, class and nationality dedicated to build active citizenship. We are not a political party.

· We believe that every person in South Africa should be free from all sources of violence both public and private.

· We believe that every person has the right to life, dignity, equality, freedom and the pursuit of a decent life.

· We believe that to realise these rights, crime, unemployment, homelessness, ill-health unequal and poor education must be overcome through organising by people of all backgrounds.

· We believe in open, accountable, ethical and efficient government that eradicates, condemns and punishes corruption.

· These are rights in our Constitution that the Constitutional Court and the judiciary have upheld since the advent of democracy in 1994.

· We will use petitions, protest, education, the Parliament and the Courts to build the Social Justice Coalition.

Please contact: Liat Davis – 083 299 9718 or Steven Kenyon – 072 372 3109 for further information.