Casac South Africa

15/12/2025

Last night on SABC News, Lawson Naidoo reflected on advocate Shamila Batohi’s legacy as the outgoing NDPP as well as touching on the challenges that face the incoming NDPP and the NPA:

President Cyril Ramaphosa established a panel for the selection of the next National Director of Public Prosecutions.The aim was to identify the next NDPP th...

15/12/2025

Last week, our Executive Secretary Lawson Naidoo reflected on the process of appointing the NDPP by the advisory panel set up by the President with Iman Rappetti at Newzroom Afrika. Watch here:

CASAC executive director Lawson Naidoo says Adv. Menzi Simelane had no place to be interviewed for the National Director of Public Prosecutions post. He says...

01/12/2025

MEDIA ALERT: CASAC hosts conference on constitutional reform

22/10/2025

CASAC is pleased to launch an op-ed series on News24 South Africa ahead of our planned conference on constitutional reform on 3-4 December 2025. In this initial op-ed, Lawson Naidoo, Dan Mafora and Kyle Jordaan set out the challenges faced by many constitutional democracies across the world against the rise of authoritarian governments.

They ask an important question: “how do we sustain faith in a constitutional democracy when it appears to be insufficiently disruptive of inherited injustice?”

Read more here:

The Constitution – once hailed as a miracle document, a model for post-conflict societies everywhere – is facing its own moment of reckoning, write Lawson Naidoo, Dan Mafora and Kyle Jordaan.

02/12/2024

On this Weekend's Sunday Times, CASAC Executive Secretary Lawson Naidoo shares that the National Prosecuting Authority ( ) finds itself in the crosshairs once again, this time the target of Barney Mthombothi’s mighty pen: “Batohi has become the poster child of the failure to combat scourge of corruption.”

Read more here:

Criticism of state institutions is necessary in a healthy democracy, which we aspire to be. The principles of accountability, responsiveness and openness are the bulwarks of our constitutional state, writes Lawson Naidoo.

07/11/2024

On November 7th, CASAC will proudly host the annual Kader Asmal Lecture at the University of the Western Cape, featuring former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke as this year’s speaker. Justice Moseneke will explore Kader Asmal’s lasting contributions to international human rights law, reflecting on the critical role of the international justice system in addressing today’s global conflicts.

This lecture honors Prof. Asmal’s legacy as a founding inspiration for CASAC and a tireless advocate for justice. We’re also grateful for our partnership with the Irish Embassy, which supports an annual CASAC scholarship in Kader’s name, sending students to Trinity College Dublin to study International Humanitarian Law.

Join us virtually to honor Kader’s vision and engage in this crucial conversation about justice in our world. Watch live here. https://bit.ly/Asmal-MemorialLecture-2024

05/11/2024

Celebrating the Legacy of Kader Asmal: CASAC’s Annual Lecture

On November 7th, CASAC in partnership with the University of Western Cape will proudly host the annual Kader Asmal Lecture. This year, we are honored to welcome former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke as our speaker. Justice Moseneke will delve into Kader Asmal’s immense contributions to international human rights law, reflecting on the ongoing debates around the role and impact of the international justice system in resolving both regional and global conflicts.

Established in 2013, the Kader Asmal Lecture honors Prof. Asmal’s legacy as a founding figure of CASAC and as a champion of constitutional democracy. Justice Albie Sachs delivered the inaugural lecture, recognizing Kader’s work with the ANC’s Constitutional Committee, which ultimately shaped South Africa’s Bill of Rights.

This event is made possible through a continued partnership with the Irish Embassy, which also supports a CASAC-initiated scholarship at Trinity College Dublin in Kader’s name. This year, we proudly send two scholars, Kristin Abrahams and Tauriq Moosa, to Dublin to further Kader’s work in International Humanitarian Law.

This gathering is a reminder of Kader Asmal’s vision for justice and democracy, a vision we strive to keep alive in his memory.