The Traditional Courts Bill sparked an outcry in 2008 when tabled in the National Assembly (NA). The Bill was reintroduced in the National Council of Provinces this January. As part of the legislative process, public hearings on the Bill will take place in the Eastern Cape as follows:

• 17 May: 10am at Matatiele Town Hall, Matatiele

The Traditional Courts Bill will directly affect at least 17 million South Africans by depriving them of basic rights. The Alliance for Rural Democracy contends that the Bill, in its current form, undermines democracy and constitutional rights and values. Because few rural people know about the Bill and its likely impact, Alliance partners are assisting rural communities in raising awareness of the Bill’s content and implications.

Alliance partners will keep a close eye on the provincial hearings and parliamentary process to ensure they are democratic, and will make submissions demanding that the...