Socioeconomic Rights in South Africa: Symbols or Substance?, Malcom Langford, Ben Cousins, Jackie Dugard and Tshepo Madingozi (Eds.) : book review

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The publication of this book comes two decades after South Africa became a democratic state. It could not have come at a better time as it provides authors with a good opportunity to benefits or otherwise of inclusion of socioeconomic rights in Constitution. The chapters of this book are written by academics, experts and civil society organizations. In introductory chapter of book Malcom Langford observes that South Africa presents an interesting paradox with regard to realisation of socioeconomic rights. While on one hand, country has explicitly guaranteed socioeconomic rights in Constitution, enacted pieces of legislation to give bite to these rights, and courts have developed a rich jurisprudence to clarify content of these rights, on other hand, these developments have not in any way transformed into better living conditions for people. Indeed, Langford laments that the failure of South Africa to match narrative with social transformation in practice has generated a counter-narrative (page 1). He explains that main purpose of book is to assess one part of puzzling of contrasting on South Africa: what has been role and impact of socioeconomic rights strategies by civil society actors? (page 1) He observes that one of critiques of South African experience is that landmark cases on socioeconomic rights have not been properly implemented or that rights-culture has impacted negatively on alternative route for social change. Focusing on period 2000-2010, book seeks to unravel how a diverse group of actors, particularly from marginalised and disadvantaged communities and social groups has used linguistic and strategic resource of socioeconomic rights? Equally book seeks to direct and indirect impact of rights-based strategies on realising socioeconomic rights in country.