The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a charter outlining seven guaranteed rights for victims of crime.
These included the right to information, to assistance and ”where applicable and possible” to restitution and compensation, government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe told reporters.
He said the ”victims charter” was a confirmation of provisions in the Constitution, and sought to address concerns about whether the justice system attached sufficient weight to victims’ rights.
The charter entailed ”a bit of a shift in the nuance in the conduct of our justice system to emphasise the rights of victims”, Netshitenzhe said.
Other guaranteed rights included the right to fairness, to dignity, and to privacy and protection, the Cabinet said in a statement.
The charter made provision for minimum standards of service rendered to crime victims by security agencies and government institutions.
Asked about the restitution and compensation aspect, Netshitenzhe said limitations would arise, as with any right, ”from logistics, resources, practicality and so on”.
The justice department said the code should be published in full by Thursday.
Netshitenzhe said the Cabinet also discussed a code of good practice for black economic empowerment (BEE).
The code sought to clarify the balance between different BEE requirements like training, management, ownership and social responsibility programmes. It would be released for public comment shortly for finalisation by the Cabinet in the new year, Netshitenzhe said.
The African National Congress-led government has recently come under criticism over its handling of BEE from the Congress of SA Trade Unions and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. – Sapa