Media Statements

Launch of the SEJA Baseline Survey on Awareness of, Attitude and Access to Constitutional Rights

23 March 2018

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD), in partnership with the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), has implemented a multi-year programme called “Socio-Economic Justice for All” (SEJA) which is funded by the European Union.  The SEJA programme is premised on a rights-based approach to the long-term eradication of poverty, in which people living in poverty are empowered to assert their constitutional rights as active members of society.

Previous surveys have shown that marginalised and vulnerable people are not able assert these basic human rights because of a lack of knowledge of their rights or of the mechanisms and institutions that have been established to assist them.

The FHR and the DoJ&CD will be launching the findings of the SEJA Baseline Survey on Monday, 26 March 2018 in Johannesburg. The Baseline Survey’s final sample consisted of nearly 25 000 interviews and provides insightful and very useful information on a number of issues - all of which are highly relevant and of much interest in our country at present.  These issues include, amongst others, the public’s general mood about the country, land and property, levels of constitutional awareness, attitudes towards the Constitution, civic and political engagement, sex and sexuality, foreign nationals, human rights and attitudes towards democracy in our country.

The aim of the survey is to ascertain levels of awareness of human rights and the Constitution and to identify barriers to entrenching a human rights culture in South Africa.
It will provide government, civil society and the public with vital information in order to assess where we stand on constitutional and human rights awareness.

Members of the media are invited as follows:
Venue:                   Women’s Jail Atrium, Constitution Hill, Johannesburg
Date:                     Monday, 26 March 2018
Times:                   15h00 – 18h45

For media confirmations please contact: Mr Kgomotso Makinta on 073 281 9661 / Kmakinta@justice.gov.za

Issued by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development  

Enquiries:
Mr Steve Mahlangu
Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services
079 878 7587
Mediaenquiries@justice.gov.za