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Attention: Editors and Reporters
27 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“the Commission”) office in the Western Cape will host a strategic stakeholder engagement with role players in the social housing sector. The aim of the engagement is to unpack issues regarding the financing, regulation, and oversight regarding social housing.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
23 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) Children’s Rights Unit (CRU) twill be hosting its inaugural child-led conference on Online Safety for children, on the 24th of February 2024. The conference will be led by a newly elected cohort of Child Rights Ambassadors (CRAs) within the SAHRC.
23 February 2024
During the 2021/2022 financial year, the South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) in Mpumalanga conducted an Investigative Inquiry into Service Delivery Challenges at Local Municipalities in Mpumalanga. The investigative inquiry came at the backdrop of service delivery complaints received against various local municipalities in Mpumalanga over the years. All 17 local and 3 district municipalities as well as relevant government departments and stakeholders in Mpumalanga took part in the inquiry. The issues raised in the various complaints included failure by municipalities to provide water and housing, sewage spillages, sewage treatment challenges, non-collection of refuse and potholes on the roads, among others.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
21 FEBRUARY 2024
On 21 & 22 February 2024 the North West Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will conduct capacity building workshops aimed at capacitating traditional leaders in Morokweng Village under Kagisano Molopo local Municipality and Taung Village under Greater Taung local municipality.
20 February 2024.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“the Commission”) Gauteng Provincial Office will investigate the alleged arrest and detention of a minor by the South African Police Service (SAPS) officials for not carrying a birth certificate/identity document.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
20 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) Free State Provincial Office (FSPO) will commemorating World Day of Social Justice with the following Institution: University of the Free State Department of Sociology, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development as well as the Champions of Human Rights. Every year on February 20th, the World Day for Social Justice acts as a platform for raising awareness of global social justice concerns. Moreover, the World Day of Social Justice recognises the importance of promoting efforts to address challenges such as poverty, exclusion, employment, gender equity, and universal access to social well-being and justice.
Date: 20 February 2024
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The SAHRC Limpopo Provincial Office (LPO) convenes a meeting with different stakeholders around Groblersdal to understand the challenges that may be causing racial tension in the area. The meeting aims to ignite strategies that may be employed to address the racial tension.
19 February 2024
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The Eastern Cape Provincial Office (ECPO) of the South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) is actively participating in crucial stakeholder engagements stemming from complaints regarding inadequate service delivery in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM) from 20-21 February 2024. These engagements are intended to facilitate discussions between the affected community and the responsible municipality, allowing for a thorough examination of the implementation status of service delivery plans. This is in accordance with section 184 (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa that; the Commission must promote the protection, development and attainment of human rights in the Republic.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
Monday, 19 February 2024
Access to water is a fundamental human right which is enshrined in section 27(1) (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Water has the capacity to create peace and has the equal potential to spark conflict and social unrest. In South Africa, several protest-related events have occurred due to water scarcity and water inequality. On 22 March 2024, South Africa will join the world in commemorating World Water Day under the global theme “Leveraging water for peace”. This theme is important in the South African context which is marred by high levels of deteriorating water and wastewater infrastructure. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) urges the South African government to pay urgent attention to this dire state of water resource management and distribution which if not urgently addressed may lead to social unrest and destabilise peace in the country.
Monday, 19 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC / Commission) continues to monitor the ongoing water challenges in the jurisdiction of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (Metro). The Commission has since January 2024 undertaken various initiatives, such as convening meetings with affected communities; participating in war room meetings; and liaising with and issuing correspondences to various government actors across the three spheres of government.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
19 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“the Commission”) office in Western Cape will be conducting various monitoring activities in the Garden Route District Municipality. Section 184 (1)(c) of the Constitution states that, the Commission must monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic. The role of monitoring and assessing potential and actual human right violations provides the Commission with an opportunity to ensure redress and to ensure that human rights are upheld in the Republic.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
19 February 2024
In January 2024 the Free State Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission undertook intensive school monitoring activities throughout the Free State Province.
The FSPO visited a number of schools in all five districts, to determine school readiness for the current academic year, as well as to monitor for any possible human rights violations, and other challenges.
19 FEBRUARY 2024
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The South African Human Rights Commission (“the Commission”) convened an Investigative Inquiry to examine Accessibility to Public Transport In Gauteng For People With Disabilities from 20 to 22 November 2023.
In May 2023, the Gauteng Provincial Office (GPO) received a referral complaint in terms of section 3 of PEPUDA from the High Court (Johannesburg), sitting as an Equality Court. The complaint alleged that the current environment at railway stations, bus stations, and taxi ranks poses a danger to and is not accessible to commuters with disabilities. The Complainant views the current state of affairs within the public transport system as a form of unfair discrimination on the basis of disability.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
19 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“the Commission”) office in the Western Cape will host a meeting of strategic stakeholders regarding challenges encountered by persons with Albinism in accessing certain rights. Persons with Albinism have reported experiencing various challenges relating to their condition. Albinism is a condition which affects 1 in 4000 persons in Southern Africa. Albinism is characterized by hypopigmentation or lack of pigmentation of the hair, skin and eyes, giving persons with albinism a striking, ethereal appearance.
16 FEBRUARY 2024
The North West Provincial Office of the Commission (NWPO) will commemorate National Human Rights Day on 20 March 2024. The aim of the commemoration is to remember and celebrate the contribution of past and present-day human rights defenders in advancing human rights in South Africa and the North West Province in particular.
16 February 2024
The North West Provincial Office of the Commission will convene a follow-up dialogue with the Traditional Leaders from Barolong boo Ratshidi under the leadership of the Paramount Chief Kgosi Montshioa. The dialogue will be convened under the theme “Bridging the gap between human rights and traditional customs.”
Attention: Editors and Reporters
13 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (Commission) Eastern Cape Provincial Office (ECPO) will be embarking on various monitoring and inspection activities in the O R Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities. This is in accordance with section 184 (1) (b) and (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa that; the Commission must protect, monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
13 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (Commission) Eastern Cape Provincial Office (ECPO) will be embarking on various monitoring activities in King Sabatha Dalindyebo(KSD), Nyandeni and Mhlontlo Local Municipalities. This is in accordance with section 184 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa that; the South African Human Commission must monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
13 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“the Commission”) office in the Free State will be conducting monitoring activities in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality. Section 184 (1) (c) of the Constitution states that, the Commission must monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
07 February 2024
The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“the Commission”) office in the Western Cape will accompany newly appointed Commissioner Aseza Gungubele, on site inspections in the Rawsonville and Worcester region as a continuation of his provincial visits to familiarize himself with the complaints in the province. Following successful school monitoring and stakeholder meetings in January 2024, the Commissioner will travel to Spookiesdorp and Avian Park, to view the conditions under which the respective communities are living.
About us
Understanding PAIA
The Human Rights Commission is the national institution established to support constitutional democracy. It is committed to promote respect for, observance of and protection of human rights for everyone without fear or favour.
Sentinel House, Sunnyside Office Park, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
011 877 3600 (Switchboard)