Founding Affidavit Application to Intervene As Amicus Curiae
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA CASE NUMBER: CCT09/09 In the matter between: AFRIFORUM Applicant (to intervene as amicus curiae) in re: WILLEM STEPHANUS RICHTER Applicant and THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS First respondent THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION Second respondent THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Third respondent _______________________________________________________ FOUNDING AFFIDAVIT _________________________________________________________ I, the undersigned, ALANA BAILEY do hereby declare under oath as follows: - 2 - 1. 1.1 I am the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AfriForum, the Amicus Curiae in this matter (“AfriForum”) and I have been duly authorised to represent AfriForum in this matter. 1.2 I am a major female and I am currently working at Eendracht Street No 1, Solidarity Building, Kloofsig, Pretoria. 1.3 The facts deposed to in this affidavit are within my personal knowledge, unless indicated otherwise or appears from the context, and are both true and correct. 1.4 Where I make legal submissions, I do so at the advice of my legal representatives, which advice I accept. THE PARTIES: 2. The applicant is WILLEM STEPHANUS RICHTER, an adult male citizen of the Republic of South Africa, and temporarily residing at Flat - 3 - 2, 1 Rosslyn Close, Mithum, Surrey, United Kingdom. 3. The desirous amicus curiae AfriForum is a section 21 company with registration number 2005/042861/05, duly registered and incorporated in terms of the Statutes of the Republic of South Africa, with registered address situated at Eendracht Street No 1, Solidarity Building, Kloofsig, Pretoria. 4. The first respondent is THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS, who is cited in her official capacity as the political head of the department responsible for giving effect to the Electoral Act 73 of 1998 ("the Act"), c/o The State Attorney, East Tower, Momentum Building, 329 Pretorius Street, Pretoria. - 4 - 5. The second respondent is THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION, an independent body established in terms of section 181 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the Electoral Commission Act 51 of 1996, of 260 Walker Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria. The Independent Electoral Commission is responsible for the implementation of the Act. 6. The third respondent is THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, c/o The State Attorney, 8th Floor, Bothongo Heights, 167 Andries Street, Pretoria, Gauteng. - 5 - PURPOSE OF THIS APPLICATION: 7. AfriForum is desirous to be admitted as Amicus Curiae in the proceedings before this above Honourable Court in case number CCT09/09. It will be clearly evident from the preceding paragraphs that AfriForum has an interest in these proceedings, will identify its position to be adopted in these proceedings and will set out its submissions to be advanced in these proceedings. The said submissions that will be advanced will be relevant to these proceedings and will be useful to the above Honourable Court and will be materially different from those of the other parties. 8. Succinctly stated, one of the reasons why this application for intervention has been brought by AfriForum, is to put before the above Honourable Court evidence that relates to a petition programme that - 6 - was launched by AfriForum on its website, the website being http://www.AfriForum.co.za ("the Petition"). More details of the petition will be canvassed and deposed to in the following paragraphs of this founding affidavit. The Petition , was born out of the necessity and need of Citizens of the Republic of South Africa (“Citizens of the Republic”) living abroad, to have their voices heard in the 2009 elections by affording them the opportunity to cast their votes. Hence, this application is also made on behalf of the greater good of the Republic of South Africa (“the Republic”). The greater good being that those Citizens of the Republic living abroad, will eventually make a decision in the future to whether to return to the Republic or not. This decision will greatly depend on the fact that the Executive and Legislature of the Republic orphaned there citizens by depriving its citizens the right to vote. 9. Furthermore, I have been advised, which advice I accept, that my legal representatives, in their written arguments on behalf of AfriForum, will embark on a comparative study of other prominent democracies with special focus on the ways by which these prominent democracies confer voting rights on their citizens who are living abroad. - 7 - THE OBJECTIVES OF AFRIFORUM: 10. As already deposed to above, AfriForum is a civil rights organisation and incorporated as an article 21 company. AfriForum also has a civil rights charter (“the Charter”) a copy of which is attached hereto and marked as annexure "AB1". The contents of this annexure are pleaded herein as if specifically pleaded here. It is perhaps apt to quote the following from the Charter: "Our future vision does not ask for special treatment for any community, but demands that a basic civil rights bestowed on communities and individuals by international declarations and the Constitution of South Africa be honoured. In our demand for our civil rights, we are inspired by the Republican tradition, which is based on democratic participation and accord among the citizenry, rather than a - 8 - mentality of slavish submission." • Page 1 of the Civil Rights Charter 11. We represent our members in accordance with the objectives of AfriForum as set out in the Charter. AfriForum has also launched a campaign called the "Come Home Campaign", which is a project of AfriForum which is directed at making a positive contribution to the achievement of the following three aims: 11.1 To assist as many skilled expatriates to return to South Africa as possible; 11.2 To attain and locally involve as many would-be skilled immigrants as possible; 11.3 To engage skilled people still resident in South Africa to participate in the public debate and citizenry of the Republic of South Africa. - 9 - 12. Part and parcel with the "Come Home Campaign" is the Petition. The Petition reads as follows from the website of AfriForum: "VOTING RIGHTS FOR SOUTH AFRICANS ABROAD I, as South African citizen living abroad, demand that my right to participate in the general election of 2009 in South Africa, as is guaranteed in article 19 of the South African Constitution, should be respected and upheld, in order that I may vote in 2009. The reason why and the time that I have been living abroad, is of no consequence, as I am a South African citizen and the Constitution specifies that that is the only condition for the right to vote. Herewith I request of AfriForum to use this petition in order to lobby for the right of South Africans living abroad to vote. I also ask AfriForum to keep me informed about the - 10 - progress with this campaign." 13. Directly underneath the quoted paragraph, posted on AfriForum’s website, the petitioner may fill in detail regarding the petitioner’s name, surname, e-mail address and in which country he/she currently finds him -/ herself. Directly underneath this there is an option whereby the petitioner can “click” on the send button which will send the petition to my e-mail address, being: [email protected]. 14. At the time of deposing to this affidavit the current total of petitioners were 565 petitioners. The petitions that I received via e-mail, have been printed, however, this constitutes 565 documents and it will only cause this application to be voluminous in nature. Therefore, I will depose to a separate affidavit attaching the 565 petitions, in the event that the above Honourable Court directs AfriForum to do same. - 11 - CONCERNED CITIZENS ABROAD: 15. During January 2008 I started to receive inquiries from South African citizens living abroad on the issue of whether they will be able to register and vote for the coming elections in 2009. 16. On 20 November 2008 AfriForum launched the Petition on behalf of these concerned citizens that made the enquiries. The "Come Home Campaign" is administering the Petition. I might add that I am personally involved in the administering of this petition. 17. On the same day, being 20 November 2008, the "Come Home Campaign" caused to sent a letter to the Independent Electoral Commission (“the IEC”), a copy of this letter is attached hereto and marked as annexure "AB2", the contents of this letter is pleaded here - 12 - as if specifically pleaded herein. In the letter addressed to the Chairperson of the IEC, Dr Brigalia Bam, AfriForum requested from the IEC that the IEC and AfriForum should embark on a workable an affordable pathway in finding a resolution in order to afford citizens of the Republic living abroad, the opportunity to vote in the coming elections of 2009. 18. The IEC answered this letter on the 3rd of December 2008 on behalf of Dr Brigalia Bam by Mrs M F T Mpumlwana (“Mrs. Mpumlwana”), being the Deputy Chairperson of the IEC. A copy of this letter is attached hereto and marked as annexure “AB 3”. The contents of this letter is pleaded here as if specifically pleaded herein. Mrs Mpumlwana conveyed to AfriForum in her letter, that the IEC remains bound by the Electoral Act 73 of 1998 (“the Act”) and will not be able to provide special votes to categories of persons not provided for in the Act. 19. The response of the IEC prompted AfriForum to address the President - 13 - of the Republic of South Africa, His Honourable President, Mr. K P Motlanthe, in regard to the intolerable situation that prevails in the Act which deprives citizens of the Republic living abroad of their voting right. AfriForum addressed the letter on 5 February 2009 to His Honourable President Mr.