Somali Association of South Africa and Others v Refugee Appeal Board and Others (585/2020) [2021] ZASCA 124 (23 September 2021)

Applications for refugee status – duty on decision-maker to assist asylum
seeker to obtain as full a picture as possible on which to predicate a decision – information
and evidence to be gathered or acquired in terms of the provisions of the Refugees Act
130 of 1998, the regulations and in accordance with the UNHCR Handbook – regard to
be had to the provisions of both s 3(a) and 3(b) of the Act – persecution too narrowly
viewed – onus to show that statutory requirements met on applicant but has to be viewed
with regard to a range of factors – applicant must be afforded an opportunity to confront
and deal with adverse factors that might weigh against him or her – Refugee Appeal
Board (RAB) and high court failed to consider that appeal was one in the wide sense –
RAB failed to observe fundamental administrative law principles – decisions set aside –
no basis for substitution order – structural interdict not warranted