Pierre De Vos
Encyclopedia
Pierre de Vos is a South African constitutional law scholar.
, Transvaal
(now Musina, Limpopo
), he was educated at the University of Stellenbosch, Columbia University and the University of Western Cape. De Vos taught law at the University of Western Cape from January 1993 and was appointed as the Claude Leon Foundation Chair in Constitutional Governance at the University of Cape Town
in July 2009. He was appointed as Deputy Dean (LLB) at UCT Law Faculty in January 2011. He has written a Blog, Constitutionally Speaking, which deals with South African social and political issues from a constitutional law perspective, since September 2006. He is also a contributor to Thought Leader
, a news website that is owned by the South African newspaper Mail & Guardian. He currently teaches undergraduate courses on South African Constitutional Law, the South African Bill of Rights and a post graduate course on Governance and the South African Constitution. He is also the author of a novel, written in Afrikaans
, entitled "Slegs Blankes/Whites Only", the story of a young white South African man coming to terms with his father's involvement in an apartheid-era police hit squad.
. He was similarly critical of the decision by the City of Cape Town to build open toilets (so called "loos with a view") for the residents of Makhaza, a township in Cape Town. De Vos has also published many articles in support of the social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo including commenting on the legal aspects of their occupation of land in Macasser and the attack on the movement in Kennedy Road.
Background and career
Born in MessinaMusina
Musina or Messina is the northernmost town in the Limpopo province of South Africa near the Limpopo River border to Zimbabwe. It has a population of between 20,000 and 40,000. Iron ore, coal, magnetite, graphite, asbestos, diamonds, semi-precious stones and copper are mined in the...
, Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
(now Musina, Limpopo
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
), he was educated at the University of Stellenbosch, Columbia University and the University of Western Cape. De Vos taught law at the University of Western Cape from January 1993 and was appointed as the Claude Leon Foundation Chair in Constitutional Governance at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
in July 2009. He was appointed as Deputy Dean (LLB) at UCT Law Faculty in January 2011. He has written a Blog, Constitutionally Speaking, which deals with South African social and political issues from a constitutional law perspective, since September 2006. He is also a contributor to Thought Leader
Thought Leader
Thought Leader is a collaborative news and opinion platform, owned by the South African newspaper . It was by former GM of the operation in 2006. It was nominated a Webby Award honoree in 2008, won in 2008, and has scored a few firsts, including sending the first South African blogger, Ndumiso...
, a news website that is owned by the South African newspaper Mail & Guardian. He currently teaches undergraduate courses on South African Constitutional Law, the South African Bill of Rights and a post graduate course on Governance and the South African Constitution. He is also the author of a novel, written in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, entitled "Slegs Blankes/Whites Only", the story of a young white South African man coming to terms with his father's involvement in an apartheid-era police hit squad.
Academic interests
De Vos has published articles on sexual orientation discrimination and same-sex marriage, the enforcement of social and economic rights, HIV/AIDS, the construction of race, racism and racial discrimination and other human rights issues. He is a regular media commentator on the South African judiciary and South African law. He has also been extremely critical of the government's attempt to evict residents of Joe Slovo Informal Settlement in Cape Town and by ruling upholding their eviction by the Cape High Court and the Constitutional Court of South AfricaConstitutional Court of South Africa
The Constitutional Court of South Africa was established in 1994 by South Africa's first democratic constitution: the Interim Constitution of 1993. In terms of the 1996 Constitution the Constitutional Court established in 1994 continues to hold office. The court began its first sessions in February...
. He was similarly critical of the decision by the City of Cape Town to build open toilets (so called "loos with a view") for the residents of Makhaza, a township in Cape Town. De Vos has also published many articles in support of the social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo including commenting on the legal aspects of their occupation of land in Macasser and the attack on the movement in Kennedy Road.
Controversies
- In February 2004, in the first case considered by the Equality Court set up in terms of the Constitution of South AfricaConstitution of South AfricaThe Constitution of South Africa is the supreme law of the country of South Africa. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the government. The current constitution, the country's fifth, was...
, De Vos and his partner won a case against the owners of a gay bar in Cape Town after the owners admitted that they had discriminated against De Vos's partner because of his race. As part of a settlement, which was made an order of court, the bar was ordered to pay R10 000 to Siyazenzela, a non-profit organisation nominated by De Vos's partner. - In 2008 De Vos became embroiled in a spat with Helen ZilleHelen ZilleHelen Zille is the Premier of the Western Cape, a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.Zille is a former journalist and anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth...
, the leader of the official opposition in South Africa after Zille had criticised Justice Nathan Erasmus for chairing a Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate wrongdoing by her party. Zile had said that "some judges allow themselves to be abused and I am afraid Nathan Erasmus is one of them". Posting an article on Thought Leader De Vos took issue with Helen Zille on two points: that the DA was being "hypocritical" in trying to shut down the Commission and that her comment about Justice Erasmus was "politically stupid" and served to undermine the independence of the judiciary. Zille responded to the article arguing that the Commission was a political witch-huntWitch-huntA witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
. The High Court eventually declared the Commission unconstitutional. - In June 2009, after a radio debate between De Vos and Paul NgobeniPaul NgobeniPaul Mpande Ngobeni was born in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa on September 1, 1960. He went to the United States on a scholarship in 1982 graduated with a BA from Hamilton College, New York and Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from New York University School of Law...
, a supporter of Judge President of the Cape, John HlopheJohn HlopheJohn Mandlakayise Hlophe is Judge President of the Western Cape High Court.-Background and career:...
, De Vos was accused of being a racist who hated Hlophe. "This guy will be joining a group of gangsters who make (John) Hlophe their do-or-die issue. Whites want to entrench themselves in the last unelected branch of government - the judiciary," said Ngobeni. De Vos denied the charge. He pointed out that what he had written on his Blog was the opposite of what was alleged, namely: "This does not make me a person who hates the Judge President (or his lawyers)."