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4 November 2021
From 27 September 2021 to 1 October 2021, the Commission in Mpumalanga conducted an investigative inquiry into service delivery challenges within local municipalities in Mpumalanga. The inquiry followed service delivery complaints against various local municipalities in Mpumalanga over the years. The issues raised in the various complaints included the failure by municipalities to provide water and housing, sewage spillages, sewage treatment challenges, electricity outages, non-collection of refuse and potholes on the roads.
29 October 2021
Welcome to this, the second monthly media briefing by the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission).
The mandate of the Commission is the broadest of all Chapter 9 institutions. In terms of its mandate it is thus responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights as well as monitoring and assessing the observance of all the rights in the Bill of Rights.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
29 October 2021
Worldwide adherents to the Hindu faith celebrate the festival of Diwali, also known as Deepavali – the “row of lights” - to commemorate the triumph of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. In Hindu culture, light is a powerful metaphor for knowledge and consciousness and also a reminder of the preciousness of education, self-inquiry and improvement.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
Thursday, 28 October 2021
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the South African Police Service (SAPS), in collaboration with the National Department of Health (NDoH), will be hosting the second annual Human Rights and Policing Lecture entitled “The Intersection of Persons with Psychosocial and Intelelctual Disabilities with the Criminal Justice System – The Case of State Patients and MHCUs in Places of Deprivation of Liberty”.
28 October 2021
The South African Human Rights Commission (the SAHRC or the Commission) in line with its Constitutional mandate, will host the second of its regular, monthly media briefings, on Friday the 29th October 2021 at 11:00 AM.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
27 October 2021
Since the famous hate speech case of July 2008 by Jonathan Qwelane, a prominent South African journalist, whose article titled, “Call me names – but gay is NOT okay,” wrote “[t]he real problem, as I see it, is the rapid degradation of values and traditions by the so-called liberal influences of nowadays; you regularly see men kissing other men in public, walking holding hands and shamelessly flaunting what have misleadingly termed their ‘lifestyle’ and ‘sexual preferences”. Moreover, to the not so recent cases of Adam Catzavelos posting a video of himself on a Greek beach where he expressed his joy at not seeing a single black person and uses the K-word, and Penny Sparrow whose denunciation about rubbish on a beach compared black revellers to monkeys, many people started to show interest in the Equality matters, especially in big cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town. However, in small cities such as Bloemfontein, many people still have to be encouraged to use such courts. There are sectors of society that still need to be conscientised about matters relating to equality courts.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
27 October 2021
Section27(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa determines that everyone has the right to have access to sufficient water. In order to fulfil this right, the Water Services Act of 1997 determines that Water Services Authorities have the responsibility to ensure access to water supply and sanitation services within their respective constituencies. The Act further provides the regulatory framework and financial assistance to Water Services Institutions. Municipalities who are appointed in terms of this Act as Water Services Authorities thus have a crucial and direct role to play in providing everyone, including vulnerable communities, with access to water supplies.
Date: 25 October 2021
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The Free State Provincial Office (FSPO), of South African Human Rights Commission will be conducting a workshop on the functionality of the Equality Courts on the 25th of October 2021. The Equality Courts’ purpose is to decide matters precisely relating to violations of the right to equality, hate speech and unfair discrimination, and this is towards eliminating the effects of apartheid which essentially divided the country along gender, racial and economic class.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
25 October 2021
On Tuesday, 26 October 2021, the South African Human Rights Commission will host a launch of its report into the sewage pollution of the City of Tshwane’s rivers and the Roodeplaat Dam.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights celebrates 40 years since its adoption on 27 June 1981. The Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA), the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (CHR), are jointly hosting a virtual celebratory event.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The SAHRC KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Office will conduct Human Rights Champions’ Training with Community Advice Offices located in the UMgungundlovu and EThekwini Municipalities.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in partnership with the Hennenman Victim Empowerment Centre will be hosting a Human Rights Calendar day event on the right to food. The human rights calendar event has been a recurring event, forming a part of the Commission’s strategic focus in 2021-2022 again, with the objective of deepening the understanding of human rights so as to entrench a culture of human rights.
19 October 2021
The scourge of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has been and remains a grave pandemic which has a disproportionate impact on women and girl children within South Africa. The plight and suffering of women and children have untold and telling negative impacts on communities and the country as a whole. According to Statistics South Africa’s 2020 report to Parliament on crimes against women in South Africa, approximately one in five women have experienced physical violence by a partner. This translates to 21% of the total female population, which means that every woman has either experienced GBV or knows of someone who has.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
On 11 October 2021, the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or the SAHRC) filed its submission as Third Party Intervener before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the matter of Semenya v Switzerland (application no. 10934/21). This is the first time that the Commission is involved in human rights litigation in an international forum, and its submission thus marks a significant milestone in this important matter regarding gender equality.
18 October 2021
The South African Human Rights Commission’s Chairperson, Adv. Bongani Majola is conducting a provincial visit in the Eastern Cape from 18 to 22 October 2021.
Media Release: SAHRC Limpopo Provincial Office will be conducting a 4 day hearing on access to water
Attention: Editors and Reporters
The SAHRC Limpopo Provincial Office (LPO) will be conducting a hearing on access to water in Limpopo from 19 to 22 October 2021 in Polokwane.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
On 11 October 2021, the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or the SAHRC) filed its submission as Third Party Intervener before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the matter of Semenya v Switzerland (application no. 10934/21). This is the first time that the Commission is involved in human rights litigation in an international forum, and its submission thus marks a significant milestone in this important matter regarding gender equality.
The South African Human Rights Commission (‘the Commission’) will convene an inquiry into allegations of racial discrimination or discrimination in general in advertising within South Africa. The Inquiry is scheduled from 21 – 28 February 2022.
In the recent past, there have been a few advertisements which have been indicative of racism and have evoked much criticism of the industry and their clients.
13 OCTOBER 2021
The North West Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), will participate in an empowerment session on children’s rights.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
Tomorrow the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) will conduct an inspection of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant in the City of Tshwane. This follows the decision by the City of Tshwane to temporarily shut down the plant due to the poor quality of water that is being processed at the plant.
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)