Attention: Editors and Reporters

01 March 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/Commission) on 31 August and 1 September 2022 hosted a National Conference on Local Government Accountability, Service Delivery and Human Rights. The conference was undertaken in the wake of negative reports of poor governance, weak institutional capacity, poor financial management, corruption and political instability in municipalities, and mounting protests against the provision of services in the sphere of local government. The SAHRC has finalised the report which documents the conference deliberations and proposes some recommendations.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

27 February 2023

Having adopted the National Development Plan (“NDP”) Vision 2030 to address poverty eradication especially amongst vulnerable groups, the government has further committed itself to providing efficient social services.  The Department of Social Development (“the Department”) is at the centre of improving living conditions and lives of people.

16 February 2023

Written by Lillian Artz,  Veronica Filippeschi and Nokwanda Nzimande

The global female prison population has grown by a staggering 53% over the past decade. Yet little has been done to improve the system so that it supports those whom it incarcerates. South Africa is no different.

The little information we have about women in South African prisons speaks of intolerable overcrowding, unhygienic sleeping conditions, and minimal health and mental health care services, including ‘medical neglect’.

16 February 2023

Written by Lillian Artz,  Veronica Filippeschi and Nokwanda Nzimande

The global female prison population has grown by a staggering 53% over the past decade. Yet little has been done to improve the system so that it supports those whom it incarcerates. South Africa is no different.

The little information we have about women in South African prisons speaks of intolerable overcrowding, unhygienic sleeping conditions, and minimal health and mental health care services, including ‘medical neglect’.

Date: 27 February 2023 

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) is a Constitutional body, established to support constitutional democracy in terms of Section 181 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Constitution). Section 184(1) (b) of the Constitution obliges the Commission to promote the protection of human rights and monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic of South Africa.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

27 February 2023

The SAHRC Eastern Cape provincial office will be embarking on various monitoring activities in Ingquza Hill Local Municipality and O R Tambo District Municipalities. Section 184 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa states that the Commission must monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic. 

Attention: Editors and Reporters

23 February 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) Mpumalanga Provincial Office is conducting a workshop to popularise and raise awareness about the Constitutional Court judgement which declared Section 10 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992 invalid and inconsistent with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (“the Constitution”) the extent that it prohibits an unmarried father from giving notice of the birth of his child under his surname, the absence of the child’s mother or without consent.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

22 February 2023

Over the years, the Commission in the North West has received many complaints about unfinished and inadequate RDP houses in the North West. The complaints of unfinished houses include those that were not built beyond the foundation stage, those whose walls were built up to the halfway point, and those which were built to almost completion but are left without the roof. These houses make it impossible for the owners thereof to take occupation. As a result, these houses are vandalized. The complaints of inadequate houses relate to buildings that are inaccessible to persons with disabilities. They also relate to the use of inferior building materials and poor workmanship, and, as a result, this poses safety threats/risks to the livelihoods of the occupiers.

22 February 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Government must respect, protect, and promote human rights. It must play a vital role in determining how to allocate and spend fiscus. If government has to deliver specific services, then this must clearly be reflected in the budget.  The work on human rights budgeting also allows us to ask who participates in budgeting and how different social groups are affected. This means that priority must be given to critical areas such as education, social security, access to healthcare, housing, and employment. It also means focusing not only on who has access to goods and services, but also on continually improving the quality, availability, and affordability of those goods and services.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

21 February 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission in Gauteng Province is conducting a monitoring roadshow from the 20^th of February 2023 to the 24^th of February 2023.