Major changes on the way for Chapter Nine bodies
Proposals for a fundamental shake-up in the way Chapter Nine institutions secure their funds and are held accountable in Parliament are inevitable after a consensus on the need for change emerged from submissions to the multiparty committee set up by Parliament to review institutions supporting the countrys constitutional democracy.
According to a Business Day report, the ad hoc committee is to draw up a report on its findings and recommendations which will be submitted to the National Assembly by the end of June. In a presentation to the committee yesterday, Deputy Justice Minister Johnny de Lange endorsed the need for institutional restructuring to overcome duplications. The Human Rights, Gender and Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Commissions could, for example, be amalgamated into one strong human rights body. De Lange also recommended a reduction in the number of commissioners so each body had a commissioner and deputy instead of the many commissioners, as is the case now. This would reduce costs.
Full Business Day report
De Lange said the SAHRC was doing very little to help the poor access their rights. He noted the original idea was that the commission would give service to marginalised people to help them exercise their rights. But only a small percentage of their budget is being utilised for helping the poor, according a report on The Citizen site. De Lange said the SAHRC had instead shifted its focus to high profile cases. One such example is the investigation on racism in the media, he said. The committee is assessing all Chapter Nine institutions to determine whether they are still relevant. De Lange said there was a need to introduce legislation that would help hold Chapter Nine institutions accountable.
Full report on The Citizen site