Attention: Editors and Reporters

22 March 2022

The South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) joins the world in commemorating World Water Day, under the global theme "accelerating change" to solve the global water and sanitation crisis.

Access to water and sanitation are fundamental to everyone’s health, dignity and prosperity. As such, Chapter 2 of the Constitution of South Africa recognizes, and provides that: “Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water.”  The right to water entitles everyone to have access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use. Conversely, the right to sanitation entitles everyone to have physical and affordable access to sanitation, in all spheres of life, that is safe, hygienic, secure, and socially and culturally acceptable and that provides privacy and ensures dignity.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

21 March 2022

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or SAHRC) wishes all South Africans a happy Human Rights Day. The National Human Rights Day, which is commemorated annually in South Africa on the 21st day of March, is one of the important national days in our country’s calendar.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

20 March 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) Eastern Cape Provincial Office will be hosting a Human Rights Day event in Kariega KwaNobuhle in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.

In order to raise awareness and combat human rights challenges, the SAHRC in Eastern Cape intends to host an information sharing session to provide a platform where the Commission has invited different stakeholders that support democracy and provide services. A complaints handling helpdesk will be provided. 

23 Jun 2022

The South African Human Rights Commission's (SAHRC) Gauteng office confirmed it was looking into the grievances of foreign nationals whose livelihoods went up in flames at Yeoville Market amid a recent air of xenophobia.

"The SAHRC calls for everyone to remain law-abiding and resolve issues in a manner acceptable in a democracy," said deputy chairperson Fatima Chohan.

"The commission underscores a move towards social cohesion, while safeguarding the safety and human rights of all living in the area."

13 June 2022

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) wants the troubled Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg, which is a regional hospital, reclassified as a tertiary hospital.

The commission's Gauteng head Buang Jones said reclassifying the hospital may help solve its problems.

13 Jun 2022

A statement released on Monday by the South African Social Security Agency said ‘payments for the new cycle of the Covid-19 SRD grant (from April 2022) will be paid as from mid-June 2022. Sassa will continue clearing outstanding payments from the previous cycle as and when the bank details are confirmed’.

10 June 2022

On Thursday, 9 June, paediatric gastroenterologist Dr Tim de Maayer, who recently exposed the shocking state of children’s healthcare at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, was suspended for ‘serious misconduct’, which prompted a massive outpouring of public support for him. The Gauteng Department of Health has now announced that his suspension has been lifted, saying the matter was ‘resolved amicably’.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

18 March 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (the SAHRC/ Commission) has noted the planned “national shutdown” organised by the Economic Freedom Fighters earmarked for Monday, 20 March 2023.

17 March 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

To commemorate and celebrate Human Rights Day, the Gauteng Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission and Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc will host a Human Rights Day Celebration with Ikaneng Primary School. The school's learners were given the task to “Design a Human Rights Logo” based on their understanding of human rights and the responsibilities accompanying them.

15 March 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Annually, South Africa commemorates national Human Rights Day on 21 March and March as human rights month. The day commemorates the sacrifice of the 69 people who lost their lives, whilst protesting repressive, apartheid pass laws on the day in 1960 at Sharpeville, but also celebrates the Constitution as the key framework for the achievement of a rights-based society as well as the advancement of human rights.