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 24^th of February 2024. The conference will be led by a newly elected cohort of Child Rights Ambassadors (CRAs) within the SAHRC.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

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.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

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.