CHAPTER 14 (LO 3): Citizenship and responsibilities

Terms and Definitions:

■ Citizenship: the status of a person of being a part of a country with all its rights, privileges, and

duties.

■ Rights: the privileges of someone according to moral or legal entitlement to have or do

something.

■ Responsibilities: the duty one has to answer to some obligations or to behave correctly in

certain situations.

■ Civil society: the collective name given to organisations and associations that are not part of

the government.

■ Non-governmental organisations (NGOs): people grouping themselves in an organisation to

fulfil duties in society that the government is not meeting.

■ Community-based organisations (CBOs): people forming volunteer-based groups to provide

services at a local level.

Introduction

In grade 10, we learned about the meaning of social responsibility and Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR). We also learned about initiatives taken by businesses to address some

socio-economic issues.

This year we will elaborate on this knowledge and include the responsibilities of other

stakeholders, such as private citizens, NGOs and CBOs in taking care of the wellbeing of others.

They are also expected to address some of the socio-economic issues that pose major challenges

to businesses and communities.

14.1 The role of citizens

The meaning of citizenship

Citizenship can be defined as a legal status and relationship between an individual and a country

whereby each one is entitled to specific legal rights and duties.

Citizenship is gained by meeting the legal requirements of a national, state or local government. A

nation grants certain rights and privileges to its citizens.

The rights of citizens

The Bill of Rights applies to every citizen of South Africa. These include the right to:

● property

● privacy

● respect/dignity

● equity

● freedom of speech and expression

● information that concerns you

● freedom of association

● free choice of a trade/occupation

● freedom of thought and religion

● freedom of movement

● healthcare/food/water and social assistance

● fair labour practices

● education and training/universal right to basic education

● safety/security and protection/life

● access to labour court/institutions

● freedom from slavery, servitude or forced labour

● the right to vote

● freedom to choose your own language/participate in your own cultural life.

Responsibilities of citizens

The South African citizens are required to exercise their rights in a responsible manner. Every

right comes with responsibility. Responsible people know what their rights are and respect the

rights of others. Being responsible means you care about other people’s rights.

The following are some of the rights and responsibilities of citizens:

RIGHTS RESPONSIBILITIES

Freedom of speech and

expression ● Avoid hate speech , spreading lies and insulting others

Equality

● Treat every person equally and fairly.

Respect/dignity

● Treat people with respect and dignity including greeting them warmly

and speaking to them courteously.

Education

● Attend school regularly, to learn, and to work hard.

Safety/security and

protection of life ● Not hurting/bullying/intimidating others.

● Solving any conflict in a peaceful manner.

Own property

● Respect the property of others, protect both private and public

property.

Freedom of thought and

religion ● Respect the beliefs and opinions of others, and their right to express

these

● Even when you may strongly disagree with these beliefs and

opinions.

The role of citizens

Every individual is important and equally liable for some roles and responsibilities when living in a

cultured society. Individuals play a role as a neighbour, an owner of the house, or a tenant, and so

on.

The basic responsibilities of an individual are respect, cooperation, and participation. Here are

some roles individuals can assume as responsible citizens:

Professionals:

● Healthcare practitioners like doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, vets,

and so on, have to do compulsory community service for a year before they can register with

their professional council.

● Some professionals like lawyers do pro-bono work where they offer their services for free to

the people who are unemployed.

Individuals:

● donate their time, for example, to the young students who helped to rescue the books from the

libraries after the devastating fires at the University of Cape Town.

● do random acts of kindness for a person in need, such as doing shopping for an elderly

person.

● participate in fundraisers and charity events, such as ‘Sisters with Blisters’.

● take care of the environment by recycling plastic at a local Recycling Centre.

14.2 Concepts of business communities

The meaning of business citizenship

Business citizenship is usually referred to as Corporate which means that all business companies

need to be responsible and make meaningful contributions to the society.

The goal is to produce higher standards of living and quality of life for the communities that

surround them and still maintain profitability for stakeholders.

Successful businesses establish a strong foundation of corporate citizenship by showing a

commitment to act ethically, creating a balance between the needs of shareholders and the

community and environment. These practices help bring in consumers and establish brand and

company loyalty.

Reasons why businesses become involved in social programmes

There are various reasons why businesses can become involved in social programmes. Some of

the reasons are as follow:

● Businesses want to attract investors and customers.

● Businesses must comply with Acts, such as the BBBEE Act (No. 53 of 2003).

● International demands and influences.

● Programmes that can uplift communities will alleviate socio-economic issues.

● The establishment of social networks in communities will increase social integration.

● Businesses can promote the well-being of communities and employees.

● The image of the business will improve through their involvement in social programmes.

● Sometimes there is a lack of qualified workers.

● They want to address the socio-economic issue of HIV/Aids.

Contributions of businesses to the social and economic development of their communities

Businesses can contribute to society in many ways. Let us look at some of the ways in which

businesses can contribute to the social and economic development of their communities:

● They can create job opportunities for members of the community.

● By educating and training their employees, they will increase their productivity.

● Businesses can spend money on uplifting the community through their CSR programmes.

● Businesses can become involved in HIV/AIDS projects for their workers or the community.

● Pay regular tax to maintain the country’s infrastructure and provide essential goods and

services.

● Provide additional methods of strengthening economic development for the country as a whole.

● Decrease the poverty levels by training people to become entrepreneurs.

● Offering donations to worthy social causes.

14.3 Roles that individuals and institutions can play in the social and economic

development of their communities

Individuals and institutions must also contribute to the social and economic development of their

communities. In this unit, we will look at the role of the following individuals and institutions in

contributing to the social and economic development of their communities:

● individual business practitioners

● civil society

● non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

● community-based organisation (CBOs)

The role of individual business practitioners

Businesses play a vital role in the economic development and wealth of a country. Success in

business translates to the economic well-being of a company and its residents through job

creation and offering improved quality of life for the country’s citizens.

Some examples of business contributions to the socio-economic development of communities are:

● the development programmes especially for Black Designated Groups

● HIV/AIDS and healthcare support

● support to schools and educational assistance through bursaries

● skills development for the unemployed.

The role of civil society

Civil society can be defined as a collective name given to organisations and associations that are

not part of the government. Civil society includes different groups like professionals, interest

groups, cultural groups, religious bodies, and voluntary organisations.

The role of civil society can be explained as follows:

● Render some essential services on behalf of the government.

● Monitor government policies and actions and hold government accountable.

● Take care of the needy, helpless, and marginalised people with development, education,

projects, and so on.

● Combat socio-economic issues such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment, corruption, etc.

Non-governmental organisations

A non-governmental organisation is completely different from governmental authorities. An NGO

will constitute a legal memorandum and an adequate structure of members, but it is structured by

a group of people who practice the social cause on a large spectrum. Their work is bound to more

guidelines, principles and strategies. NGOs will do their work on a large scale.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) play a significant role in today’s society. They have to

address the government’s deficits in services and social protection for citizens.

NGOs are funded from different sources like the government, the local lottery, businesses, and

other organisations. Some examples of NGOs in South Africa include:

● Childline

● Family Life Centre (FAMSA)

● Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA)

● SPCA

● Meals on Wheels

● Save the rhino.

A non-profit organisation operates independently of any government. The purpose of an NGO is to

address a social and political issue. They also provide accommodation for displaced people and

refugees.

NGOs need assistance from citizens, businesses, and governments to sustain and keep up their

projects.

Community based organisations (CBOs)

Community-based organisations (CBOs) are local non-profit organisations that aim at making

improvements in communities in which they operate. CBOs are often volunteer-based and get

very little funding or support from the government.

CBOs are formed by an informal group of people who exercise good actions such as organising

rehabilitation centres for their communities.

There are many examples, some of them listed below:

● Blind SA

● Guardian Angels

● Inkanyezi HIV/AIDS programmes

● Day-care centres