27 55.6 Masimanyane Women’s Support Centre, a non-profit international women`s organization that works for the advancement of the rights of women and girls with a specific focus and expertise in the application of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, ratified by the SA Government on 15 December 1995);7 and 55.7 the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, a state institution established in terms of Chapter 9 under the Constitution8 to promote respect for and protect the rights of cultural religious and linguistic communities.9 Neither the appellant nor the respondent opposed any of the applications and having considered the submissions made on behalf of the applicants each of them were admitted as amicus curiae by the court in the appeal proceedings. The amici were allowed to submit evidence on the practice of ukuthwala under customary law by way of affidavit to which the appellant and respondent were entitled to respond. [56] At the outset we wish to express our gratitude and appreciation to the amici and the parties for their assistance to the court in dealing with the complex 7 8 9 Affidavit by Shozi, p 6 paras [18] and [19]. Sections 181 and 185 Affidavit by Shozi, p 7 paras [21]-[23].