In this week’s post, Art Wynberg analyses two judgments handed down by the High Court of South Africa in similar cases concerning asylum seekers who sought judicial review after being denied refugee status. The author highlights the contrasting approaches taken by the court in response to the applicants’ decision to bypass the internal appeal process required under section 7(2)(a) of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (“PAJA”).

In this post, Nicholas Maple examines the complexities of refugee reception in Southern Africa. Using Zambia as a case study, he highlights how the historical 1970 Refugee (Control) Act continues to influence contemporary policies, despite the adoption of the more progressive 2017 Refugee Act. Maple emphasises the importance of localised approaches and the need to move away from restrictive encampment policies to integrate refugees into urban spaces and uphold their freedom of movement.