Attention: Editors and Reporters

Friday, 30 June 2023

July 2023 will mark two years since the catastrophic events of the 2021 civil unrest that occurred mainly in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal. During July 2023, the South African Human Rights Commission (Commission / SAHRC), together with multiple partners, will host a series of programmes which address the social issues and problems invoked by the July Unrest. The overarching theme guiding the July 2023 calendar is informed by the Commission’s Social Harmony National Initiative (SHiNE) and will focus on the inter-related themes of ‘poverty’, ‘inequality’ and ‘dignity’.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

29 JUNE 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC or the Commission) and the Department of Education will be hosting virtual Moot Court preparatory workshops aimed at preparing learners for the National School Moot Court Programme. The Commission and Department of Education collaborate with various institutions of higher education, law firms, and professionals who provide training to the learners in preparation for the National School Moot Court Programme.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

29 June 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (“the Commission”) will be conducting Social Harmony National Effort (SHiNE) support campaign aimed at promoting social cohesion, harmony, tolerance and respect for human rights across South Africa. It also aims at improving human relations and interactions across every spectrum in the society.

27 June 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission with Department of Health and Civil Society Organisations will be conducting a stakeholder engagement on teenage pregnancy in Paul Roux. Every year in the month of June, South Africans commemorate the events of 16 June 1976. The uprising began in Soweto and spread across the country, radically changing South Africa's socio-political landscape. The rise of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) and the formation of the South African Students' Organization (SASO) sparked political interest in many students, while others joined the wave of anti-apartheid sentiment within the student community.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

27 June 2023

The right to basic education is an immediate right in the Republic of South Africa and therefore, there should be no barriers in accessing and enjoying this right. The 2019 Phakamisa High School case confirmed that clauses 15 and 21 of the Admission Policy for Ordinary Public Schools was invalid and unconstitutional. The Court further declared that the Eastern Cape Education Department Circular 6 of 2016 was invalid as it caused a barrier for learners to access school nutrition due to the lack of documentation.

26 June 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Today, 26 June 2023, is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. On this day, the global community unites in solidarity and acknowledges the challenges faced by victims of torture. This day marks the coming into force of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) on 26 June 1987. The UNCAT is the binding international instrument prohibiting torture – a prohibition that section 12 of our Bill of Rights also entrenches.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

21 June 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (“the Commission”) will be hosting a provincial dialogue to deepen the understanding and culture of human rights with a specific focus on the right to healthcare under the theme: “The Impact of Substance Abuse on Youth’s Health”. 

Attention: Editors and Reporters

21 June 2023

Access to justice means that everyone should have an equal opportunity to seek and obtain a fair resolution of their legal issues. Without access to justice, a person has no avenue to enforce and promote respect for this right.  The State has the primary responsibility to ensure that there is law and order in the country and the South African Police Service (“SAPS”) is responsible for preventing crime and protecting basic rights. SAPS does this by combating crimes, maintaining public order, protecting all people in the country, their property, upholding and enforcing the law.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

19th June 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or SAHRC) together with the Centre for Child Law (CCL) invite members of the media to the launch of a booklet; How to get documented, a step-by-step guide to getting birth certificates, citizenship documents and immigration visas for children in South Africa.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

16th June 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or SAHRC) joins the rest of the country in the commemoration of National Youth Day. National Youth Day is observed annually on the 16th of June in remembrance of the youth that was ambushed and killed by the apartheid police in Soweto on 16 June 1976 for protesting against the compulsory introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools.