Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe

A survey of five domestic constitutions in Southern Africa shows that only the Malawian and Namibian Constitutions recognise some socio-economic rights as justiciable rights. The Constitution of Lesotho recognises socio-economic rights as principles of state policy. Zimbabwe and Botswana provide cla...

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Main Author: Moyo, Admark
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Malawi Law Journal 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.heinonline.org/HOL/Page?men_tab=srchresults&handle=hein.journals/malawi5&id=77&size=2&collection=journals&terms=Admark%20Moyo&termtype=phrase&set_as_cursor=3
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1347
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author Moyo, Admark
author_facet Moyo, Admark
author_sort Moyo, Admark
collection DSpace
description A survey of five domestic constitutions in Southern Africa shows that only the Malawian and Namibian Constitutions recognise some socio-economic rights as justiciable rights. The Constitution of Lesotho recognises socio-economic rights as principles of state policy. Zimbabwe and Botswana provide classic examples of countries in which socio-economic rights have been relegated to the margins of legal protection. Save for the right to own property, no other socio-economic rights are protected in these countries' Constitutions. However, in all these countries, the courts have demonstrated some resolve and innovativeness in interpreting some civil and political rights in order to protect certain socio-economic interests, such as by holding that the right not be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment includes a duty on the state to provide access to basic amenities of life. Such decisions offer some hope for the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights, and for these states to fulfil the promises they have made at the sub-regional level.
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spelling ir-11408-13472022-06-27T13:49:06Z Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe Moyo, Admark Constitutional Protection Socio-Economic Rights A survey of five domestic constitutions in Southern Africa shows that only the Malawian and Namibian Constitutions recognise some socio-economic rights as justiciable rights. The Constitution of Lesotho recognises socio-economic rights as principles of state policy. Zimbabwe and Botswana provide classic examples of countries in which socio-economic rights have been relegated to the margins of legal protection. Save for the right to own property, no other socio-economic rights are protected in these countries' Constitutions. However, in all these countries, the courts have demonstrated some resolve and innovativeness in interpreting some civil and political rights in order to protect certain socio-economic interests, such as by holding that the right not be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment includes a duty on the state to provide access to basic amenities of life. Such decisions offer some hope for the judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights, and for these states to fulfil the promises they have made at the sub-regional level. 2016-05-17T09:12:08Z 2016-05-17T09:12:08Z 2011 Article http://www.heinonline.org/HOL/Page?men_tab=srchresults&handle=hein.journals/malawi5&id=77&size=2&collection=journals&terms=Admark%20Moyo&termtype=phrase&set_as_cursor=3 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1347 en Malawi Law Journal;Vol. 5, Issue 1; p. 75-90 open Malawi Law Journal
spellingShingle Constitutional Protection
Socio-Economic Rights
Moyo, Admark
Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
title Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
title_full Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
title_fullStr Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
title_short Sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: SADC, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
title_sort sub-regional and constitutional protection of socio-economic rights: sadc, botswana, lesotho, malawi, namibia, and zimbabwe
topic Constitutional Protection
Socio-Economic Rights
url http://www.heinonline.org/HOL/Page?men_tab=srchresults&handle=hein.journals/malawi5&id=77&size=2&collection=journals&terms=Admark%20Moyo&termtype=phrase&set_as_cursor=3
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1347
work_keys_str_mv AT moyoadmark subregionalandconstitutionalprotectionofsocioeconomicrightssadcbotswanalesothomalawinamibiaandzimbabwe