Attention: Editors and Reporters

10 October 2023

In the month of October 2023, the North West Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will conduct capacity building workshops aimed at capacitating civil organisations and legal advice centres in Rustenburg, Mahikeng and Potchefstroom.

27 September 2023

In a recent turn of events, former Gauteng head of the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), Buang Jones has pulled out from the race to be considered by the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services for one of the positions of four full-time and two part-time commissioners.

06 September 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is investigating another incident of discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community in Gqeberha.

The investigation comes after a sign was put up against an office window of the Moffett Car Spa Carwash in the basement parking of the Moffett On Main Lifestyle Centre.

The sign reads: Stop this evil. No lesbians, no gays, no bisexuals, no transgenders, no queers. Anti LGBTQ. Save our children

19 September 2023

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is mulling over several rights violation complaints levelled against social development minister Lindiwe Zulu and Postbank over the recent grant payments delay debacle.

On Tuesday morning DA MP Bridget Masango lodged complaints of violations of rights to human dignity, life and healthcare, arguing the grant payment delays prevented thousands people from accessing food and medicine and placed the lives of grant recipients at risk.

20 September 2023

POSTBANK, which was affected by technical glitches that resulted in delays in the payment of social grants, has indicated that it has cleared the payment backlog that caused strain between itself and grant beneficiaries. In a statement yesterday, the bank assured all those who were affected that its system issues had been resolved. "Postbank wishes to provide Sassa beneficiaries and the public with the assurance that, according to our records, all outstanding Sassa grant payments to recipients that were impacted by the systems incident of September 5th and 6th have been made," it said.

9 September 2023

HE NATIONAL Prosecuting Authority NPA is setting the record straight following a press statement released by Hank's Olde Irish Pub, amid the alleged racial saga that took place at the establishment. The viral video that depicted Christopher Logan at physical loggerheads with one of the owners of the establishment in Bree Street in December, sparked outrage on social media, with the owners of the pub coming under fire for being alleged racists. In a statement two weeks ago, the pub owners claimed that "the investigation uncovered that Christopher Logan and his friend Thabiso Danca were responsible for creating a false narrative surrounding the incident". The NPA denied saying Logan created a false narrative, but rather "there were two mutually destructive versions from both sides".

20 September 2023

POOR planning and management of resources are among the key factors affecting water supply in municipalities across KwaZuluNatal. This was found in the South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC KZN Water Inquiry report into the province's municipalities and water authorities, which stated that residents' rights had been violated as they had not been provided with clean drinking water. The inquiry was conducted in response to the current water crisis in KZN, where many have protested and called for action. The commission's provincial office said it had received more than 600 complaints regarding access to water since 2020. The commission has given governance entities 12 months to implement its recommendations, failing which further steps will be taken, including litigation, which will be brought before the Constitutional Court in instances where recommendations have been ignored. It found that there were "systemic failures in water provisioning, and the violation of multiple human rights".

14 September 2023

THE SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC is assessing requests from tertiary students to investigate the impact of service providers' alleged failure to disburse allowances from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme NSFAS . According to SAHRC education commissioner Andre Gaum, the complaints against NSFAS came from different provinces.

25 September 2023

UFS lecturer reacts to racism complaints against him University of the Free State UFS lecturer Dr Pedro Mzileni says he is not being investigated by the South African Human Rights Commission regarding allegations of racism. His comments, which were posted on X on Saturday, follow a TimesLIVE report on the matter on Thursday. "In the past two days I have witnessed journalists and reputable media houses publishing a story about me that is false, a story that did not ask for my comments and a story that says I'm being investigated by the Human Rights Commission, whereas I am not." However, commission spokesperson Wisani Baloyi said on Saturday that its Free State office was investigating the matter, which relates to a recent guest lecture by Mzileni.