Powers and Functions of Commission

The Commission may do all that is necessary or expedient to achieve its objects referred to in Section 4, including to:

1. Conduct information and education programmes to promote public understanding of the objects, role and activities of the Commision;
2. Conduct programmes to promote respect for and further the protection of the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities;
3. Assist in the development of strategies that facilitate the full and active participation of cultural, religious and linguistic communities in nation-building in South Africa;
4. Promote awarenessamong the youth of South Africa of the diversity of cultural, religious and linguistic communities and their rights;
5. Monitor, investigate and research any issue concerning the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities;
6. Educate, lobby, advise and report on any issue concerning the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities;
7. Facilitate the resolution of friction between and within cultural, religious and linguistic communities or between any such community and an organ of state where the cultural, religious or linguistic rights of a community are affected;
8. Receive and deal with requests related to the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities;
9. Make recommendations to the appropriate organ of state regarding legislation that impacts, or may impact, on the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities;
10. Establish and maintain databases of cultural, religious and linguistic community organisations and institutions and experts on these communities; and
11. Bring any relevant matter to the attention of the appropriate authority or organ of state, and, where appropriate, make recommendations to such authority or organ of state in dealing with such a matter.

The Commission may, in order to perform its functions properly:

1. Determine its own staff establishment and the terms and conditions of employment for its staff within a policy framework determined by the Minister;
2. Appoint employees and seconded personnel to posts on its staff establishment;
3. Obtain the services of any person by agreement or appropriate arrangement, including the services of any national or provincial department or functionary or any institution, to perform any specific task or function;
4. Acquire or dispose of any right in or to property, but ownership in immovable property may
   be acquired or disposed of only with the consent of the Minister;
5. Open and operate its own bank accounts, subject to the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999);
6. Insure itself against any loss, damage, risk or liability;
7. Perform legal acts, or institute or defend any legal action in its own name;
8. Engage in any lawful activity, whether alone or together with any other organisation in the Republic or elsewhere, aimed at promoting the objects of the Commission;
9. Interact and co-operate with foreign institutions performing similar functions to those of the Commission; and
10. Do anything that is incidental to the performance of its functions.