2011-NMMU-Research-Report - Research Management - Nelson ...

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Faculty Researcher
of the Year
Prof Avinash Govindjee
NMMU Research and Innovation Report 2011 - Faculty of Law
Prof Avinash Govindjee is an Associate Professor in the Department
of Public Law and Deputy Head of the Labour and Social Security
Law Unit in the Faculty of Law. He has been involved in a range of
social-security related projects for various South African Government
departments and agencies.
His research focus is, broadly speaking, on human rights law, with
particular attention being paid to issues pertaining to poverty,
unemployment and inequality. His core research area is in the field
of social security law.
He endeavours to interrogate the role of law in addressing the triple
challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality, with special
focus on the constitutionalisation of law, socio-economic rights
realisation, labour law and social security law. One of his research
objectives is to consider the appropriate role of the courts in
facilitating social transition in the country.
Prof Govindjee endeavours to
interrogate the role of law in addressing
the triple challenge of poverty,
unemployment and inequality, with
special focus on the constitutionalisation
of law, socio-economic rights realisation,
labour law and social security law.
He was contracted by the Institute for Social Law and Policy (ISLP) to
develop a new adjudication framework for social security in South
Africa. This work culminated in a policy document being submitted
to the Department of Social Development in November 2011 and
serving before the Inter-Departmental Task Team on Social Security.
As Faculty Researcher of the Year (2011) he: co-published chapters
in three internationally published books during 2011, the last in a
series of three articles relating to the redesign of the Unemployment
Insurance Fund was published in the Stellenbosch Law Review, two
other articles were authored and published in other accredited South
African law journals, he also delivered seven papers at national/
international conferences, the majority by invitation.
Prof Govindjee collaborated mainly with Prof MP Olivier, the Director
of the Institute for Social Law and Policy; Prof O Dupper, Professor of
Law at Stellenbosch University, and Dr R Kruger of Rhodes University
during the year in question.
He plans to co-edit a book on affirmative action in India and South
Africa, in addition to co-publishing a series of contributions on the
social security position of non-citizens in South Africa.
Faculty Emerging
Researcher of the Year
Mr David Abrahams
Mr David Abrahams is a Lecturer in the Department of Public Law
and an Associate of the Labour and Social Security Law Unit in
the NMMU’s Faculty of Law. His area of research covers the much
needed realisation on the African continent and the Middle East
that protection of fundamental human rights of victims (mostly
women and children) during armed conflict is pivotal. He believes
that more research in this area of international law needs to be
undertaken. Mr Abrahams also serves on the Editorial Board of the
African Journal on International Humanitarian Law.
According to Mr Abrahams, violations of human rights and other
international laws often occur during armed conflict. “On the ground”
responses from humanitarian organisations are sometimes impeded
by the war-torn country’s political situation and/or the nature of the
conflict itself. While much research is being undertaken in this area
of law, the violations continue, necessitating more research.