South Africa’s responsibility to the poor, the voiceless and the least remembered

A statement by the South African Institute of International Affairs welcoming a March 31, 2016, Constitutional Court ruling regarding the president's private residence at Nkandla, emphasizing the ruling's broader implications for the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the protection of marginalized citizens.

• The Constitutional Court order of 31 March 2016, while specifically addressing whether the president must pay for non-security upgrades at Nkandla, establishes broader constitutional principles. These include the necessity of the separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judiciary, the preeminence of the rule of law regardless of an individual's status, and the essential role of independent constitutional institutions like the Public Protector in maintaining good governance.
• The ruling highlights the specific responsibility of constitutional bodies to serve the 'poor, the voiceless and the least remembered.' In a context of deep poverty and expensive litigation, the Public Protector is tasked with providing a voice to the marginalized and actively combating corruption and abuse.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2016). South Africa’s responsibility to the poor, the voiceless and the least remembered. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-responsiblity-to-the-poor-the-voiceless-and-the-least-remembered/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. South Africa’s responsibility to the poor, the voiceless and the least remembered. 2016. https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-responsiblity-to-the-poor-the-voiceless-and-the-least-remembered/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=South Africa’s responsibility to the poor, the voiceless and the least remembered |date=5 April 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-responsiblity-to-the-poor-the-voiceless-and-the-least-remembered/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2016south, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{South Africa’s responsibility to the poor, the voiceless and the least remembered}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/south-africa-s-responsiblity-to-the-poor-the-voiceless-and-the-least-remembered/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }