|
|
Article: Religious Freedom and Human Rights in South Africa After 1996: Responses and Challenges
- Article from:
- Brigham Young University Law Review
- Article date:
- May 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Brigham Young University, Reuben Clark Law School 2006. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
I. INTRODUCTION
In 1996, a new constitution was passed in South Africa displaying cultural and religious sensitivity in an ethnically-diverse country. The previous constitution entrenched the religious values and moral norms of the mainline churches to the exclusion of the indigenous population. In contrast, the new constitution contains a secular bill of rights that adequately protects religious freedom, but it also addresses real-life inequities in employment, health care, and housing in a way that ecclesiastic rhetoric did not.
Despite these benefits, there are challenges to the implementation of the new constitutional provisions of South Africa. The Western orientation of the ...