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30 Apr 2023

Civic society organisations have welcomed the establishment of Safe Spaces as a significant step towards addressing homelessness in the city.

The City of Cape Town recently announced a Safe Space in Green Point in addition to the three existing sites.

The safe spaces are aimed at providing more shelter space, basic amenities, and access to social services for persons living on the street and as a stepping stone for those who want help with getting off the street.
3 April 2023

New SAHRC CEO to bring changes MASHUDU SADIKE This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. CLIMBING up the ranks, newlyappointed SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC CEO Vusumuzi Mkhize has been passionate about education, human development and wellness.
28 April 2023

Cape Town - As the nation marked 29 years of freedom on Thursday, many South Africans did not feel “free”, while the “working class and the poor have been side-lined to the periphery” over the past three decades.

Freedom Day is the commemoration of the first democratic election in South Africa on April 27, 1994, in which anyone could vote regardless of race.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) noted that the right to freedom was curtailed by the danger of moving around.
25 April 2025

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has found that Tswaing and Ngaka Modiri Molema municipalities in North West have violated the rights of residents by denying them access to water and sanitation, which stripped them of their dignity.  

The commission issued its final investigative report on Tuesday after it had received consolidated complaints in September and October 2021 regarding the sewer spillages and a lack of basic municipal services, including water, sanitation and electricity at Agisanang, Jachtkraal Farm, Delareyville and Letsopa.
22 April 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission says it has noted with concern the growing number of acts of intimidation circulating on social media threatening civil society organisations in the country. Civil society organisations are being targeted for going out of their way to protect the violations of human rights of some of the most vulnerable inhabitants of this country.
20 April 2023

Pretoria - With the country continuing to experience stage 6 power cuts, Eskom is haunted by more woes.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is this week assessing a complaint of air pollution at the Medupi power station in Lephalale, LImpopo.

The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) hauled the power utility to the chapter nine institution, accusing the power plant management of negligence.

20 Apr 2023

THE SOUTH African Human Rights Commission SAHRC is this week assessing a complaint of air pollution at Medupi power station in Lephalale, Limpopo.
03 April 2023

Pretoria - Climbing up the ranks, newly appointed SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) CEO Vusumuzi Mkhize has been passionate about education, human development and wellness.

Mkhize, who is an educationalist by profession, was appointed to take over from Lorinda Lynn, who was acting after the suspension of Chantal Kisoon due to racism allegations.

Mkhize is adamant to make a change within the chapter 9 institution, saying racism was still affecting people which trampled on their human dignity.
14 April 2023

Several long-standing matters are still under investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), including the Belinda Magor case.

In November, the commission issued a letter of demand to Magor, from Benoni, who was accused of a racist rant. Among other demands. it demanded she make a public apology, which it is still waiting for.
15 Mar 2023

Human rights commission launches Social Media Charter at NMU Mandilakbe Kwababana This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "With rights come responsibilities, even on social media." This was the overarching message by the SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC during the launch of the Social Media Charter at Nelson Mandela University's south campus auditorium yesterday. The charter is a legal framework which seeks to combat cyber bullying and social media discrimination with financial and criminal penalties for perpetrators.
04 Mar 2023

SAHRC wants review of qualifications for mayors Phathu Luvhengo Minimum education qualifications for public office holders such as mayors and councillors should be reviewed to ensure capable and qualified people in these positions. This is one of the recommendations made by the SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC in its report on improving local government "Inevitably, such an approach may have implications for democratic participation as some people may be barred from contesting certain offices," the report said.
15 Mar 2023

STEVE Hofmeyr and the SAHRC have reached an agreement after his comments made on social media relating to the LGBTQI+ community.

THE SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC reached an outofcourt settlement agreement with singer Steve Hofmeyr on his hate speech remarks relating to the LGBTQI+ community. On Monday, the SAHRC announced that a settlement was reached with Hofmeyr in a matter pertaining to comments he made on social media relating to the LGBTQI+ community. The settlement agreement has been made an order of court. Hofmeyr made the comments following Disney's announcement that its characters would become more inclusive.
09 Mar 2023

The ongoing wage strike by health workers has escalated nationally, with violence and intimidation the order of the day while patients are being turned away and those admitted left unattended. Yesterday, a labour court judge in the Free State ruled in favour of the provincial department of health against acts of intimidation and the prevention of nurses and other health workers from going to work. The Eastern Cape health department said it will also challenge the protest action in court.
12 Mar 2023

LAW experts have warned university students against violent protests, saying that these actions could have negative impacts on their academic ambitions. This comes after a series of violent protests at the various institutions in the country including the University of Cape Town, University of KwaZuluNatal, Tshwane University of Technology and the University of the Witwatersrand. Stanley Malematja, a human rights lawyer and protest analyst, said students had the right to protest, however, they must do so within the confines of Section 17 of the Constitution, which requires everyone engaging in a protest to do so peacefully, and without infringing on the rights of others. He said the Constitution states that a violent protest and one where the participants were armed loses the protection of the constitution. He noted that everyone was equal before the law and should be treated equally. "The fact that one is a student does not mean that they are entitled to be exonerated from criminality. When a student is arrested, the processes of the law criminal law and criminal procedure unfolds and every case is treated on its own merits," said Malematja.
12 Mar 2023

PETER Marais of the Freedom Front Plus could land in hot water if the ANC pursues plans to lodge formal complaints regarding his utterances on black people in the Western Cape. I File `VOLKSTAAT CALL' Marais' 'influx' remarks to be referred to SAHRC BRANDON NEL This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. THE ANC in the Western Cape will turn to the Human Rights Commission SAHRC to deal with remarks made by Peter Marais of the Freedom Front Plus on Thursday. Marais, in the Western Cape legislature, took swipes at African people, saying their influx into the Western Cape was hampering the province's efforts to expand its resources and turned its demographics on its head.
17 Mar 2023

WARRENTON residents have lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC as there has not been a drop of water in their taps since February 21. It is believed that Magareng Municipality has managed to secure R5.5 million towards repairing the bulk pipeline. Last week, the municipality indicated that R15 million was needed to reroute the pipeline to the N18 lowlying bridge in the meantime until the main pipeline is fixed.
18 Mar 2023

MORE incidents of racism have been reported in the Western Cape than in any other province. This is according to statistics from the South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC . The Western Cape received 123 racismrelated complaints from April 2022 to January 2023. KwaZuluNatal followed with 78 complaints and Gauteng came in third with 73. The provincial manager at the SAHRC, Matthew du Plessis, said of the 123 reported incidents in the province, 43 were under investigation. He said other cases were resolved before the current total was reached.
20 Mar 2023

The Economic Freedom Fighters EFF has called on its members to come out in "full force" today and "without fear." The red berets have organised a "national shutdown" to demand that Ramaphosa step down and to protest against the constant bouts of load shedding that South Africa has experienced for months.
19 Mar 2023

THE SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC in the province will embarked on a host of activities on Tuesday to commemorate Human Rights Day. The commission will be doing activations in Newcastle and Charlestown tomorrow, when they will be visiting schools, clinics, police stations, the Department of Social Development and taxi ranks in the Amajuba District. Pavershree Padayachee, SAHRC's acting provincial manager, said the commission could not predetermine how the national shutdown called for tomorrow would impact on its planned activities but they would be proceeding with their activities for the week as planned.

22 Mar 2023

THE South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC says it will be engaging with the SAPS following a complaint from the DA on the decision by the Western Cape police to record complainants' statements in English only. SAHRC Commissioner Andre Gaum said: "The Commission received the complaint and will send an allegation letter to South African Police Service SAPS this coming week." DA's spokesperson on police, Okkie Terblanche, said the party would fight the "latest attack" on the language.
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Understanding PAIA

The Human Rights Commission is the national institution established to support constitutional democracy. It is committed to promote respect for, observance of and protection of human rights for everyone without fear or favour.

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