Summary Citizen, public participation and democracy assignment 1 sem 1&2

1. INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION 3Welcome to this module titled Citizenship, Public Participation and Democracy – and well done! You are probably wondering why we say “well done’’. It is because you have made the great decision to invest your time in mastering this module, which deals with an interesting area of the law. 4The more you learn and make active efforts to learn, the better your chances of improving our circumstances and creating a better life for yourself and your family. There are so many ways in which we can learn. For example, enrolling for a course like this one is an important way of engaging formally in some kind of learning and development. 5We are laying foundations in more than one sense. Hopefully, on completing this module successfully, you will have built a solid foundation for entering the paralegal field in South Africa, as well as for further development in the legal field. The paralegal diploma will enable you to operate effectively within the paralegal working environment, whether it be in the public sector, in community-based advice offices or even in private practice. 6This is one of the modules that you have to complete and pass in order to obtain the qualification that you have enrolled for. We are certain that you will enjoy this subject, as it is a fairly new section of the South African law that has been the result of South Africa becoming a democracy in 1994. We have compiled this study guide in a clear and concise manner so that you should find it relatively easy to study. 2. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MODULE 7The purpose of this module is to enable you to understand and identify various concepts relating to citizenship, democracy and the Constitution. It will also enable you to evaluate the role played by citizenship, democracy and the Constitution in society by establishing how the public participates in a democratic state like South Africa. 8This module will therefore equip you with sufficient theoretical knowledge, skills and competencies to analyse and evaluate situations or scenarios pertaining to citizenship and democracy in South Africa. You will be able to analyse clients’ needs and provide them with solutions. 9Students who complete this module will be able to apply democratic principles to practical situations that may arise in practice ranging from paralegal, public-sector, communitybased advice offices and private practice.(v) CPD1501/1 3. PRESCRIBED TEXT BOOK 10There is no prescribed textbook for this module; this study guide is all that you require. The case law and the sections of particular pieces of legislation that are mentioned in the study guide are sufficient for exam purposes and you are not expected to do further research on your own. Further reading could, however, help you to understand some concepts in more detail and you are encouraged to read as much as you can for your own interest and to build up your knowledge. 11As this is a blended module you also have to log on to MyUnisa once a week to check for updates and to use any of the suggested MyUnisa tools that the lecturer requires you to use. 12Please make sure that you read all the tutorial letters carefully, starting with Tutorial Letter 101. 13You will need a copy of the 1996 Constitution. You may also use the pocket edition of the Constitution, which was issued free of charge at post offices some years back, or you can download the Constitution from the Constitutional Court website at . You can also obtain the Constitution in the other official languages on this website. 4. STUDY GUIDE 14This study guide will guide you through the prescribed syllabus; therefore in order to be successful in this module you must understand how the study guide works. 15As you will see, this module is divided into two parts, Part A and Part B. 16Part A, which covers citizenship law, contains four study units, namely, study units 1, 2, 3 and 4. At the end of each study unit there are activities that you will have to complete. You must then compare your answers to the feedback given. To be able to determine how much you still need to study in each unit, please ensure that you attempt to answer the activities on your own before comparing them to the feedback given for each activity. 17Part B, which covers public participation and democracy, also contains four study units, namely, study units 5, 6, 7 and 8. As in the case of Part A, there are activities that you should complete at the end of each study unit. Again, make sure you attempt to answer the activities on your own before comparing them to the feedback. 18Work through the whole study guide carefully, making sure that you take note of the learning outcomes at the beginning of each study unit and complete the activities or selfevaluation exercises. These activities are very important as they are aimed at integrating the work that you have studied in each study unit with the rest of the module.