10 January 2023

The complaint follows remarks Malema made in October last year.

AfriForum has demanded feedback from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) after the rights group served Julius Malema and the EFF with a written notice to retract and apologise for allegedly making statements which amount to incitement to violence.

The complaint followed remarks Malema made in October last year at the party’s Western Cape third provincial People’s Assembly.

‘You must never be scared to kill’

05 January 2023

Nothing has changed for Temba, Hammanskraal, residents. When they open their taps all they get is slimy, smelly undrinkable water.

In 2019, the South African Human Rights Commission declared the water in Hammanskraal unsafe for human consumption and the situation has not changed. Clean water is trucked in as an alternative measure but residents complain the service is erratic.

When TimesLIVE visited the area, north of Pretoria, a 58-year-old woman with crutches, standing outside her gate with six 25L buckets, unsure if the water tanker would arrive, said: “We have to run around looking for water. Have pity on us, we have been suffering for a long time for water, we have to wait for the tankers to come.”

3 January 2023

Families of inmates at the Boksburg prison, east of Johannesburg, are concerned for their relatives’ safety. Prison guards are seen firing rubber bullets at inmates in videos circulated on social media and shared with the SABC.

Inmates are also seen throwing stones at the guards. Some of the detainees have been injured.

Prisoners are also seen hurling stones at the guards. Some of the prisoners have been wounded.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

06 February 2023

The SAHRC Eastern Cape provincial office is embarking on various monitoring activities in O.R. Tambo, Amathole and Chris Hani District Municipality this week. Section 184 (1) (c) of the South African Constitution states that the Commission must monitor and assess the observance of human rights in the Republic.  The role of monitoring and assessing human rights and potential human rights violations, provides for an opportunity for the Commission to inspect areas of potential violation, and facilitate redress where required.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

 25 January 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“the Commission”) Eastern Cape Provincial Office will be embarking on monitoring activities with a focus on health care centres and mental health care institutions in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan, Sarah Baartman District, Chris Hani District and the O R Tambo District Municipalities.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

25 January 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/ Commission) notes and endorses the press statement issued on 23 January 2023 by the Network of African Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), a body that represents all national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in the African continent. NANHRI is calling upon all African governments to expand the civic space in their respective jurisdictions, following the brutal murder of Eswatini human rights defender, Adv Thulani Maseko.

Date: 25 January 2023 

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission’s North West provincial office has noted through its monitoring work, the challenge of police visibility in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and Ngaka Modiri Districts. On further enquiry, the Commission was informed that some of the factors that contribute to the challenge of police visibility include the lack of human and material resources in the police stations servicing these areas.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

23 January 2023

SAHRC Mpumalanga provincial office will be conducting human rights dialogues for community based organisations as strategic stakeholders on Mental Health – Promoting and Protecting Human Rights.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

19 January 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/ Commission) has issued a final investigative report in the matter of the South African Human Rights Commission // Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke & Head of Department: North West Department of Education & MEC For Education: North West Province.

The report relates to the incident that transpired at Laerskool Schweizer Reneke (School) on 9 January 2019. The incident related to the public dissemination of a photograph depicting four black and eighteen white learners seated at separate tables in a classroom at the school. The photograph sparked public outrage, with many people labelling the incident as racist. Members of the public and other concerned groups gathered within the vicinity of the school to protest against what they perceived to be racial segregation.

9 November 2022

The South African Human Rights Commission has given the EFF and its leader, Julius Malema, 10 days to apologise and retract inciteful statements following several complaints.

A video of Malema addressing delegates at the party’s provincial people’s assembly in the Western Cape has gone viral, prompting complaints the EFF leader used inciteful language.

SAHRC chairperson Bongani Majola said the commission has assessed the video and is satisfied that the utterances amount to hate speech and may also lead to transgression of the promotion of equality act.