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LasL week, Lhe norLh CauLeng Plgh CourL
1
ln reLorla seL a precedenL by declarlng a slx-year-old chlld a SouLh Afrlcan clLlzen.
1he chlld was born Lo Cuban parenLs who, due Lo Cuban law, were noL able Lo pass Lhelr clLlzenshlp Lo Lhelr chlld. 1he courL
made Lhe order ln llne wlLh SecLlon 2(2) of Lhe SouLh Afrlcan ClLlzenshlp AcL, 88 of 1993. 1hls secLlon guaranLees clLlzenshlp
Lo chlldren born ln SouLh Afrlca buL do noL have Lhe naLlonallLy of any oLher counLry and whose blrLhs are reglsLered ln Lerms
of Lhe 8lrLhs and ueaLhs 8eglsLraLlon AcL, 31 of 1992.
Cn 21 !une 2013, Lawyers for Puman 8lghLs (LP8) launched a courL case ln Lhe norLh CauLeng Plgh CourL on behalf of Lhe
chlld. 1hls case explores Lhe pracLlcal meanlng of SecLlon 28(1)(a) of Lhe ConsLlLuLlon, whlch sLaLes Lvery chlld has Lhe rlghL
Lo a name and naLlonallLy from blrLh" and seeks clarlLy on SecLlon 2(2) of Lhe ClLlzenshlp AcL, whlch provldes SouLh Afrlcan
clLlzenshlp Lo Lhose born on Lhe LerrlLory and who are sLaLeless.
1he chlld's parenLs are Cuban naLlonals who cannoL pass on Lhelr clLlzenshlp Lo Lhelr chlld due Lo havlng emlgraLed from
Cuba. ln Lerms of Cuban law, Lhe chlld's parenLs are consldered permanenL emlgranLs", because Lhey have been llvlng and
worklng ouLslde of Cuba for more Lhan 24 monLhs. As a resulL, Cuban law does noL permlL Lhe chlld Lo obLaln permanenL
resldence ln Cuba, whlch ls essenLlal Lo any Cuban clLlzenshlp clalm. 1he chlld was born ln Lhe counLry wlLhouL a naLlonallLy.
uesplLe Lhe chlld meeLlng Lhe requlremenLs of SecLlon 2(2), Pome Affalrs decllned Lo reglsLer her as SouLh Afrlcan under Lhls
provlslon and lnsLead Lold her make dlscreLlonary appllcaLlons for permanenL resldence and Lhen naLurallsaLlon, slnce Lhe
moLher recenLly became a permanenL resldenL. LP8 argued Lhls declslon vlolaLed Lhe chlld's consLlLuLlonal rlghL Lo ! #!$%
!#& #!'()#!*('+ ,-)$ .(-'/". lurLhermore, Lhe declslon conLradlcLs Lhe prlmary purpose of SecLlon 2(2) of Lhe ClLlzenshlp AcL,
whlch was drafLed Lo glve sLaLeless chlldren Lhe besL proLecLlon under Lhe law - clLlzenshlp by blrLh - as early as posslble.
uesplLe havlng submlLLed Lhree permanenL resldence appllcaLlons Lo Lhe Pome Affalrs ueparLmenL, Lhe chlld remalned
wlLhouL lmmlgraLlon sLaLus or naLlonallLy.
Cn 3 !uly 2014, LP8 obLalned an order declarlng Lhe chlld a SouLh Afrlcan clLlzen and dlrecLlng Lhe Pome Affalrs mlnlsLer Lo
lssue her wlLh a SouLh Afrlcan lu number and blrLh cerLlflcaLe. Clven LhaL Lhere are no regulaLlons accompanylng SecLlon 2(2)
of Lhe AcL, Lhere ls no clear appllcaLlon procedure or guldellnes on how Lo apply Lhls provlslon ln pracLlce. 1hus, Lhe
appllcaLlon was also broughL ln Lhe publlc lnLeresL and on behalf of slmllarly slLuaLed chlldren. As such, Lhe courL order
furLher dlrecLed Lhe mlnlsLer Lo drafL regulaLlons Lo make Lhe purpose of SecLlon 2(2) achlevable. Such regulaLlons could
lnclude guldance on how Lo assess lf an appllcanL ls sLaLeless. 8egulaLlons could also lnclude an appllcaLlon form for 2(2)
clLlzenshlp. AL Lhe momenL, no appllcaLlon form exlsLs and Lhls secLlon of Lhe ClLlzenshlp AcL ls vlrLually unknown, even ln
Pome Affalrs' head offlce.
1he oLherwlse sLaLeless" provlslon provldes a measure of securlLy Lo chlldren born ln counLrles where naLlonallLy ls noL
acqulred Lhrough blrLh on Lhe LerrlLory only 0123 3)*(4. SouLh Afrlca ls one of Lhese counLrles. ClLlzenshlp ls malnly acqulred
Lhrough descenL. lL ls forLunaLe, Lherefore, LhaL we are one of Lhe few counLrles ln Afrlca who have Lhls oLherwlse sLaLeless"
provlslon ln our domesLlc law.
unforLunaLely, Lo daLe, Lhls safeguard was noL belng lmplemenLed by Pome Affalrs. 1he reason glven Lo LP8 was Lhe facL LhaL
many people were applylng for clLlzenshlp ln Lerms of Lhls provlslon. 1he facL LhaL many people are aLLempLlng Lo access Lhls

1
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>#3 www.lhr.org.za


paLhway Lo naLlonallLy ls an lndlcaLlon Lhere ls a greaL need for lL and LhaL lL wlll play an lmporLanL role ln Lhe prevenLlon of
sLaLelessness. 1he lmplemenLaLlon of Lhls provlslon ls vlLal.
SouLh Afrlca has a duLy Lo prevenL sLaLelessness and Lo provlde chlldren born ln lLs LerrlLory wlLh a name and a naLlonallLy
from blrLh. 1hls responslblllLy ls ln llne wlLh Lhe Afrlcan CharLer on Lhe 8lghLs and Welfare of Lhe Chlld and oLher lnLernaLlonal
law and sLandards. Cur own ConsLlLuLlon enLrenches Lhls baslc rlghL and Lhe sLaLe's responslblllLy Lo proLecL lL," sald LP8's
Llesl Muller.
LP8 wlll make submlsslons Lo Pome Affalrs regardlng Lhe drafLlng of a regulaLlon Lo SecLlon 2(2) and wlll follow up on Lhe
lmplemenLaLlon of Lhe courL order. LP8 wlll work wlLh Pome Affalrs Lo reallse Lhe purpose of Lhls secLlon.
<." :#2*' *10#"?*#@$A -.10'-0(
Llesl Muller, aLLorney for Lawyers for Puman 8lghLs
083 703 2496