Nicole Amelia Goliath
Student number: 21805431
Module: Citizenship, Public Participation& democracy
Module Code: CPD1501
Question 1
1.1) Integrate civic education into the curriculum
As educators, it's essential to cultivate informed and engaged citizens who can participate
actively in the democratic process. Integrating civics education into the curriculum can
help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to
prepare them for active citizenship.
-Teacher training and resources
-Student participation and leadership
-community involvement
- Use of technology
-cultural and contextual relevance
1.2) Voting apathy refers to a lack of interest or motivating among eligible voters to
participate in elections. It can result in lower voter turn-out, impacting the democratic
process and the overall representation of the electoral process. Voter apathy is often
young voters who tend to have lower turnout rates compared to date demographics.
Factor’s contributing to voter apathy can lack:
Distrust of government: One of the primary causes of voter apathy is a mistrust in
political instution.
 Lack of Political Success : This refers to a belief that one's vote doesn't matter or
won't bring about change.
 Barriers to Voting: Structural barriers, such as cumbersome voter registration
processes, a lack of accessibility for disabled voters, or limited polling stations,
can dampen voter enthusiasm.
 General Discontent: Broader societal factors, such as economic downturns, social
unrest, or perceived cultural divides, can foster disillusionment with the political
process.
The repercussions of voter apathy are significant. Voter apathy can lead to an
unrepresentative government, with leaders elected by only a small percentage of the total
population. It can also lead to reduced government accountability and the erosion of
democratic norms. Strategies like civic education, electoral reform, and increasing
government transparency can help to relieve the symptoms of voter apathy.
1.3) Civic voter education ensures the readiness, willingness and ability of voters in
participating in electoral activities. It imparts basic voter information which enables every
voter to arrive well prepared at the correct voting station and to vote on the dedicated
voting day. As evidenced by the trend of its incorporation in most legal frameworks of
African countries, such as constitutions and legislation, the role and significance of CVE
in the enhancement of voter participation in the democratic electoral processes have
increasingly gained prominence on the continent.
Civic education is the provision of the requisite information and learning experiences that
equip and empower citizens to participate in democratic processes. With the aim of
imparting knowledge, skills and dispositions that mould the attitude of citizens, civic
education can be in the form of both formal and non-formal education. This includes
classroom-based learning in educational institution, and informal training through
discussion forums under the auspices of community mobilization and stakeholder
engagement.
Question 2
1.1) -Refugee Act 130 of 1998
- Immigration Act 13 of 2002
- Refugee Amendment Act 19 of 2004
- Refugee Amendment Act 33 of 2008
- Refugee Amendment Act 19 of 2015
1.2 No; Mr Afrika does not qualify for a refugee status in South Africa due to the fact he
is unaware of the rights and obligations of the Refugee’s in the country. A person
qualifies for refugee status if:
a) he or she is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of his or
her country due to a well-founded fear of persecution by reason of his or her race, gender,
tribe, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, or
b) he or she is compelled to leave his or her place of habitual residence to seeks refugee
in another country due to external aggression or other events seriously disturbing public
order in his or her, or
c) Is a spouse or dependant of a person contemplated in paragraph (a) or (b)
At the Refugee Reception Office you need to prove:
-Your biometrics. All family members listed in the form sent to Department of Home
Affairs will have their biometrics proved.
-After applying of asylum, you and your dependants must be given an asylum-seeker visa
(Section 22 permit).
-Refugee Status Determination officer will interview you to make sure you qualify for a
Refugee status application.
Section 4 of the Refugee Act 130 of 1998 states:
Exclusion from refugee status
(1) An asylum seeker does not qualify for refugee status for the purposes of this Act if a
Refugee Status Determination Officer has reason to believe that he or she:
(a) has committed a crime against peace, a crime involving torture, as defined in the
Prevention and Combating of Torture of Persons Act, 2013 (Act 13 of 2013), a war crime
or a crime against humanity, as defined in any international legal instrument dealing with
any such crimes; or
(aA)has committed any of the following offences under the Protection of Constitutional
Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, 2004 (Act 33 of 2004):
(i) The offence of terrorism referred to in section 2 of the said Act;
(ii) an offence associated or connected with terrorist activities referred to in section 3 of
the said Act;
(iii) any Convention offence as defined in section 1 of the said Act; or
(iv) an offence referred to in section 13 or 14 of the said Act (in so far as it relates to the
aforementioned sections).
(b) has committed a crime outside the Republic, which is not of a political nature and
which, if committed in the Republic, would be punishable by imprisonment without the
option of a fine; or
(c) has been guilty of acts contrary to the objects and principles of the United Nations
or the African Union; or
(d) enjoys the protection of any other country in which he or she is a recognised refugee,
resident or citizen; or
(e) Has committed a crime in the Republic, which is listed in Schedule 2 of the Criminal
Law Amendment Act, 1997 (Act 105 of 1997), or which is punishable by imprisonment
without the option of a fine; or
(f) has committed an offence in relation to the fraudulent possession, acquisition or
presentation of a South African identity card, passport, travel document, temporary
residence visa or permanent residence permit; or
(g) is a fugitive from justice in another country where the rule of law is upheld by a
recognized judiciary; or
(h) having entered the Republic, other than through a port of entry designated as such by
the Minister in terms of section 9A of the Immigration Act, fails to satisfy a Refugee
Status Determination Officer that there are compelling reasons for such entry; or
(i)
has failed to report to the Refugee Reception Office within five days of entry into
the Republic as contemplated in section 21, in the absence of compelling reasons,
which may include hospitalization, institutionalization or any other compelling
reason: Provided that this provision shall not apply to a person who, while being
in the Republic on a valid visa, other than a visa issued in terms of section 23 of
the Immigration Act, applies for asylum.
1.3 A person’s refugee status may be withdrawn if it contravenes section 36 of the
constitutions, it states as follows:
The rights in the Bill of Rights may be limited only in terms of law of general application
to the extent that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic
society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, taking into account all relevant
factors, including—
(a) the nature of the right;
(b) the importance of the purpose of the limitation;
(c) the nature and extent of the limitation;
(d) the relation between the limitation and its purpose; and
(e) less restrictive means to achieve the purpose.
In the case of Ruta v Minister of Home affairs (CCT02/19)[2018] ZACC52:2019(3)
BCLR 383 (CC);2019(2) SA 329 (CC) (20 December 2018) the applicant applied to the
High Court for an order of interdicting his deportation and granting his release so he
could apply for a Refugee status, and the High court granted him his application, the
Minister appealed to the Suprem court. The majority judgment of the Supreme court
reversed the High court decision, It held that he failed to apply for asylum without delay,
as both the Refugees Act and the Immigration Act require. Additionally, that Mr Ruta
was disqualified from applying for and receiving a refugee permit because he had been
convicted of a crime – the traffic violations. Lastly, that Mr Ruta contravened the
Immigration Act when he entered the country. This meant that he had to be dealt with in
terms of the Immigration Act and not the Refugees Act.
Bibliography
Citizenship, Public Participation1501 Study Guide University of South Africa
Paul Mudau ,African Human Right Law Journal
The UN refugee agency
Good.party org
Constitution 1995
Refugee Act 130 of 1998
Immigration 13 of 2002
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NAME: Nicole Amelia Goliath
SIGNATURE: ngoliath
STUDENT NUMBER: 21805431
MODULE CODE: CPD1501
DATE: 12 October 2024