Abstract
The article is about religion and its place in the Constitutional provisions of South Africa. It touches on aspects like the social composition and religious demography of South Africa pointing out the big variety of cultural and religious groups in South Africa who all live together under one constitution. Attention is also given to the historical and political development in the country. The notion of religious rules and the way it is formulated in the Constitution are discussed. Tension between religious rules and State laws and what tools are available to lessen these tensions are also discussed. In this regard there is reference to the South African Charter of Religious Rights and Freedoms and the positive role it can play with regard to all the religions in South Africa in their relationship with the State.
All of this provides for a system which shows respect for human rights and especially freedom of religion, equality, non-discrimination and freedom of association. It also provides for religions in South Africa to take ownership of freedom of religion and to formulate their religious identity in terms of their given freedom of religion.
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Notes
- 1.
(SouthAfrica.info. The Official Gateway http://www.southafrica.info/pls/procs/iac.page?p_tl=2779&p_t27372&p_t3=0&p_t. 13/4/2011; South African Christian Handbook 2007–2008: 69,74.).
- 2.
See for instance The Church Order of the Dutch Reformed Church 2011. With Bylaws, Policy, Functional Decisions and Guidelines as established by the General Synod of 2011.
- 3.
There are many examples in the jurisprudence of South Africa which proofs exactly this point. One of the latest examples is the case of Kievits Kroon Country Estate (Pty) Ltd v. Mmoledi and others (LAC) (Unreported case no. JA78/10. 24-7-2012) (Tlaetsi JA).
- 4.
Taylor v Kurtstag 2004 4 All SA 317 (w); 2005 1 SA 362 (W); 2005 7 BCLR 705 (W).
- 5.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, article 36.
- 6.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, Chapter 2 and article 36.
- 7.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, art 7(3).
- 8.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, art 2.
- 9.
Laws like Childrens Act 38 of 2005; Childrens Justice Act 75 of 2008; Electronics Communication Act 36 of 2005;and the South African Schools Act no 84 of 1996 as amended, Chapter 2(7).
- 10.
Voorvadergeeste is ‘n geldige rede sê die hof. Die Burger 19 Oktober 2012, p.6.
- 11.
Changing Traditional view’s,in De Rebus, October 2012, pp 53–54 Both the terms “Ubuntu” and “botho” denotes humaness or human kindness and can also be seen as African ethics The case referred to is Kievits Kroon Country Estate (Pty) Ltd v Mmoledi and others (LAC) (unreported case no JA78/10, 24-7-2012) (Tlaetsi JA). Other cases in which the same trend can be found are Bhe v Magistrate, Kayelitsha (Commission for Gender Equality as Amicus Curiae); Shibi v Sithole; South African Human Rights Commission v President of the Republic of South Africa 2005 (1) BCLR 1 (KH); Alexkor Ltd v Richersveld Community 2003 (12) BCLR 1301 (KH).
- 12.
See also South Africa The New Legal System, http://www.photius.com/countries/south_africa/government/south_government_the_new_legal_system.html. 2013/12/07. Sources: The Library of Congress Country Studies; CIA World Fact Book.
- 13.
Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998.
- 14.
See Seedat’s Executors v The Master (Natal) 1917AD 302, 309 (Innes CJ).
- 15.
Marriage Act 25 of 1961.
- 16.
Civil Union Act 17 of 2006.
- 17.
Recognition of Customary Marriages, Act 120 of 1998.
- 18.
Aronson v Estate Hart 1950 2 All SA 13 (A); 19501 SA 539 (AD) 561; Buren Uitgewers (Edms) Bpk v Raad van Beheer oor Publikasies 1975 1 SA 446 (C); 1975 1 SA 379 (C) 419; De Waal v Van der Horst 1918 TPD 277 281.
- 19.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, Chapter 2. See supra, pp. 8–9.
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Coertzen, P. (2016). Religion and the Constitutional Experience of South Africa. In: Bottoni, R., Cristofori, R., Ferrari, S. (eds) Religious Rules, State Law, and Normative Pluralism - A Comparative Overview. Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law, vol 18. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28335-7_21
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