10 February 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has taken note of the severe flooding that has impacted the Komani area, in the Eastern Cape. We extend our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by this natural disaster and have lost their homes and belongings.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Thursday, 09 January 2023

In 2017 the SAHRC KwaZulu Natal Provincial Office released its investigative report on oncology services within the province. The report emanated from a complaint that alleged, among others, the lack of adequate provision of oncology services in the KZN Province. The report was shared with relevant stakeholders to action and to engage with the findings and recommendations in the report which sought to improve the state of oncology services and to manage the backlog of oncology patients that had arisen at the time. The SAHRC had received reports on the actions that were undertaken to comply with the recommendations in its report.

Date: 07 February 2023  

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) North West provincial office received several complaints from persons alleging that they have been “blacklisted” by their former employers from securing employment in the mining sector.
The SAHRC will therefore conduct a human rights dialogue on the alleged practice of “blacklisting” in the North West Province.
The aim of the dialogue is to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to clarify how the “blacklisting” practice works, the rationale behind the practice, the parties involved throughout the value chain and the redress mechanisms available to persons affected by this practice.

07 February 2023
Attention: Editors and Reporters

On 12 November 2018, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) released the outcomes of the investigation into allegations of racial tension, unfair discrimination, and harassment at UNISA. Following the release of the outcomes of the investigation, the Commission has held engagements with UNISA where policies, outputs and deadlines were discussed.

27 January 2023

Cape Town - The tragic deaths of five seasonal farmworkers in the Northern Cape apparently due to an ongoing heatwave in the province has once again put under the spotlight their working conditions, and renewed calls for farmers to put human life before profits.

In total, eight people were confirmed dead, the latest on Monday, as temperatures reached around a scorching 43oC.

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said it would investigate, among others, claims that the workers’ requests for water while working in the heat were not heeded, while Northern Cape SAPS spokesperson Cornelis Prins said they were investigating four inquest dockets – one in Augrabies and three in the Kakamas area.

21 January 2023

Durban - The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has confirmed that they are investigating the allegations of a Durban mother who claims that her son was contaminated with E coli through tap water.

Laura Garibdass, from Shallcross, alleged that the eThekwini Municipality has not been completely transparent about the purification of tap water. She believes that her son, Yash, 4, was hospitalised for five days due to E coli contamination.

Garibdass claimed that the only way her son became contaminated by E coli was through consuming tap water from their home.

22 January 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission released its final report this week, finding that the claims were unsubstantiated.

JOHANNESBURG - Trade union, Solidarity, said that it hopes that the outcome of the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) investigation into claims of racism at Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke serves as a lesson.

The commission released its final report this week, finding that the racism claims were unsubstantiated.

20 Jan 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has issued a final investigative report on the 2019 incident at the Schweizer Reneke school where a teacher was accused of being racist.

The teacher, Elana Barkhuizen was suspended after a photograph of children in her class went viral.

The picture showed black children separated from white children.

The photograph sparked public outrage, with many people labelling the incident as racist.

20 Jan 2023

Former North West Education MEC Sello Lehari’s successor has been instructed to apologise for Lehari's conduct after he was found to have falsely accused teacher Elana Barkhuizen of racism.

It was also found that Lehari had put Barkhuizen's life in danger by publicly disclosing her identity.

Barkhuizen was the teacher who took a photograph which showed four black pupils sitting at a separate table from white children in a Grade R class in 2019. The photo went viral on social media at the time and sparked wide outrage.

The photograph led to allegations of racial segregation and unfair discrimination at Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke.

11 January 2023

Cape Town - In a move seen as global recognition of South Africa’s contribution to torture prevention, South African Human Rights Commissioner Chris Nissen has been elected to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT).

As the commissioner responsible for civil and political rights at the SAHRC, Nissen has for the last three years been at the forefront of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) for torture prevention.


The NPM carries out its mandate through a system of regular visits to what Nissen refers to as “places of deprivation of liberty.”