Overview of Topics

Chapter 1: Pages 1-40

The South African Constitution & Bill of Rights

Topics dealt with:

History of Constitutions in South Africa
Summary of the South African Constitution
Human Rights

  • Indivisibility of rights
  • Rights and responsibilities
  • Conflicts in rights

Summary of the Bill of Rights
Protecting human rights

Chapter 2: Pages 41-56

Citizenship

Topics dealt with:

Citizenship law

  • Immigrants and migrants

Laws and rights that apply to non-citizens
Asylum seekers and Refugees
Applying for asylum

Chapter 3: Pages 57–87

Democracy, Government & Public Participation

Topics dealt with:

Principles of democracy
Elections
Lobbying (campaigning and petitioning)
Structures of all spheres of government
How to participate in all spheres of government
Process for making policy and laws in all spheres of government
Traditional leadership and participation in local government
Inter-governmental relations

Chapter 4: Pages 89-106

Local Government

Topics dealt with:

Acts that govern local government

  • Inter-governmental relations and co-operative government

Categories of local government
Elections for local government
Structures of a municipality
How decisions are made in local government
The work of a municipality
Developmental role of municipalities
Drawing up an Integrated Development Plan
Role of ward committees
Community participation in local government

Chapter 5: Pages 107-172

Courts and Police

Topics dealt with:

Different types of law
Structure of courts

  • Magistrates’ courts
  • Criminal Courts
  • Civil Courts
  • Equality Court
  • Community Courts and

Courts for Chiefs and Headmen
Criminal cases
How the criminal courts work
Powers of the police
Police misconduct
Arrest and detention
Bail
Civil cases
How the civil courts work
Using the Small Claims Court
Appeals and reviews
How the Equality Courts work
Interdicts
Community Police Forums
Applying for legal aid
Justice Centres

Chapter 6: Pages 173-292

Labour Law

Topics dealt with:

Contracts of employment
Laws about terms and conditions of employment

  • Wage regulating measures

Summary of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act
Sectoral determinations that govern the conditions of domestic workers and farm workers
Employment Equity Act
Occupational Health and Safety Act
Disputes and solving disputes under the Labour Relations Act
Settling disputes
Unfair labour practices
Dismissals

  • Automatically unfair dismissals
  • Substantive fairness
  • Procedural fairness
  • Dismissal for incapacity
  • Retrenchment
  • Referring a dispute to the CCMA
  • Adjudication by the Labour Court

Taking industrial action
Claims from the Unemployment Insurance Fund
Compensation Fund
Employee’s tax
Pension and provident funds
Medical Aid Schemes
Skills Development Act and levies

Chapter 7: Pages 293-328

Social Grants

Topics dealt with:

South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)
Social grants for adults 18 years and older

  • Older Person’s
  • Disability
  • War Veterans
  • Grant-in-Aid
  • The means test

Social support for children

  • Maintenance
  • Child Support Grant
  • Foster Care Grant
  • Care Dependency Grant

Who can get grants and how they apply
Power of attorney to fetch a grant on behalf of someone else
How much is a grant worth?
Social relief of distress award

Chapter 8: Pages 329-384

Family Law& Violence Against Women

Topics dealt with:

Civil marriages
Civil unions
African customary marriages
Muslim and Hindu marriages
Divorce
The Family Court
Care and protection of children
The Children’s Act and Children’s Amendment Act
Parental responsibilities and duties
Maintenance
Custody, guardianship
Child support
Adoption
Child abuse and neglect
Rape, incest and sexual assault
Sexual Offences Act
Sexual violence and HIV testing
Rights of children and parents
Domestic violence and getting a protection order
Abortion
Death
Drawing up a will

Chapter 9: Pages 385-428

HIV/AIDS & the law

Topics dealt with:

Basics of HIV and AIDS
Impact of HIV on people and society
Rights for people living with HIV and AIDS
Confidentiality
Informed consent to test
Right to health care
HIV/AIDS as it relates to employees in the workplace, women including pregnant women, children and youth, schools, prisoners, lesbians and gay men
Social assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS

Chapter 10: Pages 429-466

Land & Housing

Topics dealt with:

Land laws and policies
Land redistribution
Land grants

  • Land Acquisition or Settlement Grants

Illegal eviction from farms and urban areas

Security of tenure

  • Extension of Security of Tenure Act (ESTA)
  • Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and

Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PIE)
Housing laws and policies
Housing subsidies
Buying a house
Renting a house
Duties of landlords and tenants
Complaining to the Rental Housing Tribunal
Role of local government

Chapter 11: Pages 467-492

Environmental Law

Topics dealt with:

Sustainable development
Laws that relate to the environment including
the common law, the Constitution,
laws that apply to specific sectors
National Environment Management Act (NEMA)
Air Quality Act
Resolving environmental disputes

Chapter 12: Pages 493-532

Consumer Law

Topics dealt with:

Basic requirements for a contract
Breach of contract
Consumer rights
Buying on credit and credit agreements

  • National Credit Act
  • Debt counselling
  • Legal proceedings
  • Getting credit

Consumer Protection Act

  • The right to privacy
  • The right to choose
  • The right to good quality and safety
  • The right to responsible marketing
  • The right to information

Debt-collecting agencies
Insurance
Micro-lending and micro-lenders

Chapter 13: Pages 533-572

Small Business Law

Topics dealt with:

Types of business
Differences between the different types of business
Co-operatives
Formalising employment relationships with employees
Registering as an employer

  • Employee’s tax (SITE/PAYE)
  • Unemployment Insurance Fund
  • Skills Development Fund

Paying income tax

  • Provisional tax

Paying value-added tax (VAT)
Paying special levies like Skills Development
Levy and Unemployment Insurance contribution
Getting a business licence
Exporting and importing
Basic administration skills in running a business
Support for small businesses

Chapter 14: Pages 573-590

Managing Schools

Topics dealt with:

School governing bodies
Learner representative councils
Discipline in schools
Admission policies
School fees and ‘No fee’ policies
Exemption from school fees

Chapter 15: Pages 591-600

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Topics dealt with:

The Road Accident Fund
Making a claim against the Road Accident Fund
Third party claims
What happens if your vehicle is damaged
Accidents while working

Chapter 16: Pages 601-666

Paralegal Skills & Establishing an Advice Centre

Topics dealt with:

Different types of paralegals
Role of paralegals
Communication skills necessary for a paralegal including: interviewing, listening, taking a statement, affidavits, referrals, letter-writing
Administrative skills necessary for a paralegal including: filing, bookkeeping, running meetings, time management, report-writing, working with media
Development skills necessary for a paralegal including: conflict resolution skills, facilitating educational workshops
Establishing an advice centre, including: constitutions, electing a managing body, budgets, employing people
Registering as a non-profit organisation (NPO) under the NPO Act
Evaluating activities in the Advice Centre