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101 S. African L.J. 467 (1984)
Human Rights in Southern Africa: The Case of Bophuthatswana

handle is hein.journals/soaf101 and id is 469 raw text is: HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: THE CASE OF BOPHUTHA TSWANA THE CONSTITUTIONAL-LAW BACKGROUND Bophuthatswana attained full independence on 6 December 1977. As a result, the Bophuthatswana National Assembly enacted a constitution- the Constitution Act 18 of 1977-which contains an extensive 'Bill of Rights'.1 Sections 9 to 17 guarantee a comprehen- sive right to equal treatment before the law (s 9); the right to life (s 10); the prohibition of inhumane or degrading treatment (s 11); the meticulously regulated right to liberty and freedom (s 12); the freedom of private and family life (s 13); the freedom of thought, conscience and religion (s 14); the freedom of expression (s 15); the freedom of assembly (s 16); and the right to property (s 17). These fundamental rights and freedoms are 'self-executing' in the sense that no further Acts of the legislature are required to enforce them. Section 8 declares that the fundamental rights 'are directly enforceable by law' and that they 'are binding on the legislature, the executive and the judiciary'. The powers of constitutional judicial review are conferred upon the Supreme Court (s 8(2) and (3)). Amendments to the provisions of the 'Bill of Rights' have to observe the entrenchment clause in s 79, which requires a two-thirds majority of the members present in the National Assembly before an amendment can be enacted. The operation and enforcement of this 'Bill of Rights' in.the individual case depends upon the construction of the general principles contained in it. In each case the courts have to discover the scope of protection offered to the individual and must define the extent to which a fundamental right may be restricted by legislative measures encroaching upon the right or freedom concerned. Section 18 of the Bophuthatswana constitution has given the judiciary the ' See for some details on the history and legal development of Bophuthatswana the chapter by Harold Rudolph in Albert P Blaustein & Eric B Blaustein Constitutions of Dependencies and Special Sovereignties VI (1979). See also D Geldenhuys 'Some Alternative Political Scenarios' (1981) 1 Journal of Contemporary African Studies 105; R Zimmermann 'Die Verfassungen von Transkei und Bophuthatswana, der Verfassungsentwurf fur die Republik Siidafrika und das Konzept des separate development' (1978) 27Jahrbuds de 6ffentlichen Redis 631, 645fT M Wiechers & D van Wyk 'Republic of Bophuthatswana Constitution' (1977) 3 South African Yearbook of International Law 85.

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