Attention: Editors and Reporters

14 September 2023

On Monday, 18 September 2023, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/Commission) will officially release its report on the “KZN Water Inquiry”.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

26 October 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) in Western Cape provincial office will host a dialogue with learners and stakeholders on Reducing Alcohol Related Harms in Schools. The aim of this dialogue is to start the conversation around the harm that alcohol consumption causes and how it impacts on the attainment and enjoyment of human rights. The Dialogue also aims to help communities to begin to identify available help and share information about how to access such help in a caring and responsive environment.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

26 October 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) in the Eastern Cape has received complaints pertaining to human rights violations emanating from poor and/or inadequate road infrastructure which may impede access to health care services, education, social security, food security, basic services and police services. The complaints illustrate the crucial role that road infrastructure plays in ensuring the enjoyment of basic human rights and facilitating access to socio economic rights.

26 October 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

In an effort to address pressing issues related to human rights and social cohesion, the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) in the Northern Cape Province will be conducting a stakeholder engagement that will bring together diverse stakeholders, thought leaders, community representatives, and activists. This initiative seeks to create a platform for robust discussions and collaborative strategies, promoting the principles of human rights and strengthening social bonds within our community.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

26 OCTOBER 2023

The Gauteng Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission will host a stakeholder engagement with institutions supporting democracy on their readiness for the 2024 provincial and national elections.  

Attention: Editors and Reporters

26 October 2023

The SAHRC Mpumalanga Provincial Office will be conducting a capacity building workshop to equip religious structures on the right to citizenship enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (“the Constitution”) with specific focus on statelessness. This workshop is conducted in collaboration with the Mpumalanga South African Council of Churches which is established, amongst others, to address issues of justice, national reconciliation, integrity, and to contribute towards the empowerment of all those that are spiritually, socially and economically marginalised. 

Attention: Editors and Reporters

17 October 2023

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global hunger has increased by 150 million people since 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) to reach 828 million people in 2021. Moreover, according to Statistics South Africa Household Survey, 3.7 million households in 2021 were poor or very poor in South Africa.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

17 October 2023

Access to water is essential to everyone’s health, dignity and prosperity. In recognition of the fundamental importance of water, the Constitution entrenches the right to have access to sufficient water. In recent years, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has received several complaints relating to the challenges of sufficient access to water in various districts in the Limpopo Province. Poor and/or insufficient access to water remains a significant challenge for many communities in Limpopo Province.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

17 October 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission’s (the Commission) in Eastern Cape conducted an investigative inquiry with the purpose of addressing concerns regarding the alleged excessive regulation of learners' appearances and school uniforms in institutions of learning. The Inquiry took place from March 14th to March 16th, 2022, and it was conducted in response to complaints received by the Commission on this matter. Additionally, various media reports highlighted instances of alleged discriminatory practices by educators concerning learners' natural hair, religious symbols, cultural symbols, and requests for gender-neutral school uniforms.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

18 October 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) received a complaint that a pedestrian bridge via which tenants on the farm access schooling and employment had been deliberately destroyed by the farm owner.
Noting that the complaint further alleged that the residents on the farm, who are renting from the farm owner, also had their electricity supply disconnected months ago and that many of the residents had been born on the farm and lived there all of their lives. The SAHRC in Western Cape considered it prudent, on assessment of the complaint, to also request the intervention of the Rental Housing Tribunal (RHT) and the Department Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD).