Have you ordered and paid for merchandise that was never delivered? Have you subsequently been refused a refund on demand for that undelivered order? Has a supplier demanded a cancellation fee for an undelivered order? The Consumer Protection Act protects your right to fair and honest dealing by promoting fair business practices, and by protecting consumers from unconscionable, unfair, unreasonable, unjust or otherwise improper trade practices; and deceptive, misleading, unfair or fraudulent conduct.
What is not at issue here is the Constitutional right of Witches to identify as Witches, to profess to have knowledge of Witchcraft, and to practice Witchcraft.
The Constitutional rights to freedom of religion, belief and association, do not protect any right to practice magical rituals designed to curse others, whether to protect an innocent from harm, or to avenge a wrong. The Witchcraft Suppression Act prohibits the practice of harmful magic intended to curse another.
South African law expressly prohibits the practice of magic in such a way as to cause harm, or to harass another in such a way as to inspire the reasonable belief that harm may be caused, or to utter or convey a threat which might induce a fear of being harmed through the use of witchcraft.
South African Pagans are not immune from inter-personal disagreements and personality conflicts. We are, after all, human. But we are also the objects of both fear and hatred by many non-Pagan South Africans. Our enemies ply their defamation against us through religious admonitions and condemnations.
Innocent people falsely accused of being witches and of practicing witchcraft to cause harm are often assaulted and murdered in this country. False accusations tarnish reputations and ruin livelihoods. No-one is immune to the harm caused by malicious gossip on social media. The accusers are not immune from justice either.
SAPRA’s first issue of our quarterly newsletter, Your Rights.
In anticipation of yet another long year of lockdown and anxiety, we’ve devoted this issue to offering practical advice on matters with which you might have become all too familiar since March 2020, including lawful eviction procedure, health protocols in the workplace, and COVID vaccinations and the law, as well as articles on crafting a Bindrune for Justice, Deities associated with the Law, and making an Incantation Bowl to ward against illness and misfortune.
If you are unwilling to accept the very real risk of coronavirus contagion to your child or members of your family as a consequence of sending your child back to school, SAPRA advises applying for partial or conditional exemption from attendance. Parents seeking to homeschool their child must register for home schooling.
According to section 4(1) of the South African Schools Act, “A Head of Department may exempt a learner entirely, partially, or conditionally from compulsory school attendance if it is in the best interests of the learner.”
Parents are no longer entitled to chastise a child using violence! The Constitutional Court held that “The application of force or a resort to violence, which could be harmful or abused, cannot in circumstances where there is an effective non-violent option available be said to be consonant with the best interests of a child.”
In terms of Section 110 of the Children’s Amendment Act, there is a general duty on certain citizens to report domestic abuse and violence against children. Ordinary citizens are given the discretion to report abuse when they become aware of it.
Some South African Pagans are actively promoting the idea that the right to self-determination gives them the right to declare their independence from the Republic of South Africa. They are wrong! Self-determination is not independence from the Republic! Section 235 of the
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It is unlawful for an employer to prevent employees from exercising their personal religious beliefs, and it is unlawful for employers to obligate employees or pupils to embrace a faith that is not theirs. An employer may not victimise an employee because
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Any discussion on or about religion in South Africa must begin with an acknowledgement of an absolute rule – all religions are to be regarded as equal before the law! This Constitutional rule was most recently reiterated in 2017, when the South
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International discussions and debates on the merits of limitless (free) speech, and whether or not speech that incites harm should be protected or banned from social media, is currently trending on social and corporate media sites. In South Africa, chapter 2 section
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Defamation Defamation is defined as “any unlawful, intentional false communication, either written or spoken, that harms a person’s reputation; decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which a person is held; or induces disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against a
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On June 28 the South Gauteng High Court delivered its long anticipated judgement on religion and education in public schools. In Organisasie vir Godsdienste-Onderrig en Demokrasie v Laerskool Randhart and Others, Judge van der Linde, affirmed the principles of religious diversity and
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Recently published articles concerning the revision of Canada’s Criminal Code on the prohibition of Witchcraft in that country has elicited numerous calls by South African Witches to legalise Witchcraft in South Africa. Many Pagans and Witches remain under the impression that the
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Equitable and voluntary religious observances at state institutions Some Pagans have, whilst visiting public clinics, felt obligated to endure Christian prayer services conducted by staff members of the clinic. Some consider interrupting these services as disrespectful to the rights of Christian patients,
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Can Pagans take paid leave for religious holidays? The short answer is, probably not. Whilst the celebration of religious holidays by members of any and all religions (including Paganism, Wicca and Witchcraft) is entirely legal and protected under the Constitution, employers are
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Let the buyer beware! If you undertake to pay to attend a public weekend workshop on herbalism or a two week course on Wicca, examine the offer carefully before paying any deposit fee. A supplier (in this instance, the person offering a
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SAPRA sometimes receives requests for assistance from Pagans who believe they have been unfairly dismissed from their employment because of their religion. If you feel that you have been unfairly dismissed, what should you know, and what can you do to receive
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“Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically
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Custody – the protective care or guardianship of someone… “A custodial parent is a parent who is given physical and/or legal custody of a child by court order. A child-custody determination means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for
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