ConCourt expected to rule on challenge to Refugees Act

The Constitutional Court is set to rule on a challenge to the Refugees Act on Tuesday.

The case was brought by the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and aims to have the court declare sections of the act unconstitutional, which leaves asylum seekers deemed to have abandoned their asylum applications if they don’t renew their visas within a month of the expiry date.

In February, the Western Cape High Court upheld the challenge.

The Constitutional Court has to give the ruling its thumbs up before it can take effect, though.

The Scalabrini Centre maintains that the sections in question means that people with valid refugee claims risk being returned to countries where they face “death, torture, s.e.xual violence and other forms of prosecution without the substance of their asylum claims having been assessed”.

The centre argues further that these sections are irrational and arbitrary in that they “serve no legitimate government purpose and penalize asylum seekers not for their own conduct but for obstacles, delays and difficulties beyond their control”.

It says they are not reasonable and justifiable and that they violate international law.

The application for confirmation was heard in August and was not opposed.

Judgment is expected at 10 AM on Tuesday morning.

-EWN

In other news – Close friends speak out following the death of Zahara

Popular South African award-winning singer and songwriter Bulelwa “Zahara” Mkutukana has sadly passed away at age 36 after being in hospital for a month.

The family of the Loliwe hitmaker spoke about her deteriorating health a couple of weeks ago, announcing that she had been hospitalized and was in a critical condition. The publication spoke to one of Zahara’s close friends who said her family will release a statement in time. Read More