Too important to ignore: implementing the right to food in South Africa : case of small-scale fishing communities

Abstract

This thesis explores the topic of the implementation of the right to food in South Africa. In order to show how to achieve an effective protection of the right to food, the thesis emphasizes an importance of existing instruments for the legal protection of the right to food on the international, regional African and South African level. The aim is to show that an effective legal background presents a first step towards the possibility of the access to justice. Therefore, the thesis presents an overview of the judicial and quasi-judicial bodies in order to show that access to justice is possible for all citizens and especially vulnerable groups. South Africa is a good example of a country that protects the right to food throughout many different instruments. Thus, during its struggle to ensure a stable food security, some of the legislation turned out to be discriminatory towards certain groups of society, such as fishing communities. Therefore, the thesis underlines that no such law can be acceptable, and that all citizens have to be equal in their access to food.