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19 July 2016

South Africa’s Apartheid regime is remembered as one of the worst crimes against humanity of the 20th century and press council executive director Joe Thloloe believes it is to blame for the existence of racism in our country today.
18 July 2016

press release

The Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, will on Monday, 18 July 2016, meet with the Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC),
17 July 16

Johannesburg - South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) chairman Lawrence Mushwana has asked International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane for a meeting to discuss South Africa’s stance on two important international issues.

17 July 2016

This view is contained in a letter written by South African Human Rights Commission chairman Lawrence Mushwana to International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
In the letter‚ Mushwana raised concerns about some positions taken by the country and also requested a meeting to discuss these issues. One of the two issues he dealt with was South Africa’s seemingly waning commitment to the Rome Statute signed by SA in 1998.

Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs has expressed support for the online petition meant to stop American anti-gay pastor Steven Anderson from coming to South Africa.
13 July 2016

Free State education department to appeal 'racist' principal's reinstatement

Bloemfontein – The Free State education department will appeal a ruling that a principal declared unfit to work with children be reinstated.
Whites owed apology over Facebook post – SAHRC

The spokesperson of the Ngwathe Municipality in the Free State should post an unconditional apology to all white South Africans on Facebook, the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has recommended. A Volksblad report notes that Steve Naale posted a picture on the municipality’s official Facebook page of two men hanged by the notorious Ku Klux Klan in the US. He wrote: ‘Unless we want it under a white man’s government again.

The Democratic Alliance has handed over a dossier to the to the South Africa Human Rights Commission containing what it claims is “racist and derogatory” comments made by Truman Prince, Beaufort West Mayor.

13 July 2016

It has been over two weeks since four-year-old, Maneliswa Ntombela, a child with albinism, was abducted while he played with his cousin near his Esikhawini home in Richards Bay. According to media reports,  the cousin told her mother, Qhaphi Ntombela, that two men who appeared to know Maneliswa’s name had abducted him.
08 July 2016

Debt collectors have been exploiting involuntary and uninformed agreements with debtors

The National Assembly is considering an amendment bill to the Magistrates' Court Act 32 of 1944 to curb predatory wage garnishment orders. Officially known as emolument attachment orders (EAO's), these are court orders that require employers to deduct payments from the salary of an employee to service debts.
06 July 2016

Cape Town - The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is preparing to take Velaphi Khumalo to court for alleged hate speech after his Facebook post earlier this year calling for the country to be cleansed of white people.
06 July 2016

South Africans are becoming both more aware of their rights and more willing to speak out against racism and inequality. The SA Human Rights Commission dealt with and finalised 505 complaints on racism in the 2015-20 16 financial year - an 82% increase from the previous financial year.
05 July 2016

In a vote that surprised many, the South African delegation to the United Nations abstained on a key vote in the UN Human Rights Council to appoint an independent watchdog on sexual orientation. The resolution passed with 23 votes for, 18 against, and 6 abstentions.
05 July 2016

Hundreds of out-of-work miners and desperate illegal immigrants from Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe try to eke out a living along Johannesburg’s estimated 10,000 miles of abandoned underground passageways, dug to extract gold from richly veined reef.
04 July 2016

President Jacob Zuma has asked to be given more time to respond to a complaint of hate speech that the Freedom Front Plus laid with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against him.
04 July 2016

Bloemfontein - The SA Human Rights Commission has stopped the eviction of nearly 1500 people in Phase 7 in the Bloemspruit area.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the Justice Department and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation held a three-day seminar on finding practical solutions for addressing violence and discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). The seminar was held in Kempton Park in early March.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) recently held a national conference to commemorate 20 years of its existence. The conference was held in Midrand from 14 to 15 March. The commission turned 20 years in October last year.

Africa Day is commemorated annually on 25 May to mark the day when the Organisation of African Unity (now known as the African Union) was formed in 1963 in acknowledgement of the solidarity and unity of countries across the African continent.

This is a significant day for our country and for our continent.

As a national human rights institution supporting constitutional democracy, the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) joins the rest of Africa in commemorating this historic day on 25 May 2016.  

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)