Transforming Society
Securing Rights
Restoring Dignity
22 September 2020
By Eden Esterhuizen and Commissioner Andre Gaum
Sexual violence in schools is a pervasive issue, affecting both learners and teachers.
From time to time, a news report will be published about comprehensive cover-ups of systemic sexual abuse within a school. The public, the department of basic education, Parliament, and chapter 9 institutions all react with outrage. As we should. Yet, a few months later, a similar story hits the news, and our reaction is the same. Shock. Outrage. And a call to action.
By Eden Esterhuizen and Commissioner Andre Gaum
Sexual violence in schools is a pervasive issue, affecting both learners and teachers.
From time to time, a news report will be published about comprehensive cover-ups of systemic sexual abuse within a school. The public, the department of basic education, Parliament, and chapter 9 institutions all react with outrage. As we should. Yet, a few months later, a similar story hits the news, and our reaction is the same. Shock. Outrage. And a call to action.
4 May 2020
Before the advent of constitutional democracy of 1994, torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment was employed as a matter of course by the repressive apartheid and colonial regimes, through police and military personnel. These brutal practices either formally formed part of the pre-1994 South African penal and judicial system formally, or were unofficially employed by state actors, with complete disregard for human rights. Yet these individuals and the regime of the time faced little or no consequences for such actions.
Before the advent of constitutional democracy of 1994, torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment was employed as a matter of course by the repressive apartheid and colonial regimes, through police and military personnel. These brutal practices either formally formed part of the pre-1994 South African penal and judicial system formally, or were unofficially employed by state actors, with complete disregard for human rights. Yet these individuals and the regime of the time faced little or no consequences for such actions.
01 April 2020
It is of great concern that despite the rights contained in international conventions and the Bill of Rights, there is still a large human rights implementation gap in South Africa.
This is partly due to a lack of adequate and efficient systems to monitor the implementation of these rights as well as what informs decision-making on the allocation of resources towards the realisation of these rights.
It is of great concern that despite the rights contained in international conventions and the Bill of Rights, there is still a large human rights implementation gap in South Africa.
This is partly due to a lack of adequate and efficient systems to monitor the implementation of these rights as well as what informs decision-making on the allocation of resources towards the realisation of these rights.
Gushwell Brooks
26 Feb 2020
HUMAN RIGHTS
On the evening of Thursday, February 6, 23-year-old Lindokuhle Cele went to his butchery in uMlazi, KwaZulu-Natal. While he was waiting to be served, a taxi pulled up and a man jumped out, walked up to Cele and stabbed him.
26 Feb 2020
HUMAN RIGHTS
On the evening of Thursday, February 6, 23-year-old Lindokuhle Cele went to his butchery in uMlazi, KwaZulu-Natal. While he was waiting to be served, a taxi pulled up and a man jumped out, walked up to Cele and stabbed him.
23 February 2020
Win by Team SA, made up of intelligent and vibrant youngsters, gives hope that our human rights future is in good hands, writes André Gaum and Gushwell F Brooks
The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) joined the rest of South Africa in congratulating the International Moot Court champions – Team SA – on their phenomenal win at the fifth International School Moot Court Competition in Gdynia, Poland, on January 31 this year.
Early last year the commission became the lead institution in presenting the National Schools Moot Court Competition (NSMCC) with our main partners being the departments of basic education and justice and constitutional development and the Centre for Human Rights.
This provided an opportunity to all grades 10 and 11 pupils to participate in the competition.
Win by Team SA, made up of intelligent and vibrant youngsters, gives hope that our human rights future is in good hands, writes André Gaum and Gushwell F Brooks
The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) joined the rest of South Africa in congratulating the International Moot Court champions – Team SA – on their phenomenal win at the fifth International School Moot Court Competition in Gdynia, Poland, on January 31 this year.
Early last year the commission became the lead institution in presenting the National Schools Moot Court Competition (NSMCC) with our main partners being the departments of basic education and justice and constitutional development and the Centre for Human Rights.
This provided an opportunity to all grades 10 and 11 pupils to participate in the competition.
6 February 2020
It will take the end of patriarchy and an efficient justice system to jail more offenders
Gushwell Brooks
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” This saying, attributed to Gandhi, best describes South Africa’s departure from capital punish- ment in the seminal Constitutional Court case State v Makwanyane and Another, which was decided on June 6 1995 and which re-affirmed the fundamental right to life and human dignity, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution.
It will take the end of patriarchy and an efficient justice system to jail more offenders
Gushwell Brooks
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” This saying, attributed to Gandhi, best describes South Africa’s departure from capital punish- ment in the seminal Constitutional Court case State v Makwanyane and Another, which was decided on June 6 1995 and which re-affirmed the fundamental right to life and human dignity, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution.
15 November 2019
To address the systemic issues of racial discrimination, broad social and economic transformation is required in SA
The dust has settled on the 2019 national elections, and, while politics con-tinues, life goes on much as it always has for the majority of people in South Africa. Poverty and inequality remain stag-geringly high and the face of poverty remains black.
To address the systemic issues of racial discrimination, broad social and economic transformation is required in SA
The dust has settled on the 2019 national elections, and, while politics con-tinues, life goes on much as it always has for the majority of people in South Africa. Poverty and inequality remain stag-geringly high and the face of poverty remains black.
11 October 2019
The concept of access to justice has become a global issue and has received recognition locally, regionally, and internationally. The right of access to justice is a fundamental human right which is not a “nice-to-have”, but a “must-have”. The ability to access justice unlocks all the other rights that a citizen has in any constitution of the country which she or he lives in. Freedom under a democracy is meaningless if people are not able to access their rights. Therefore, the right of access to justice is a fundamental human and democratic right which is a central pillar of a free and equal society founded on the rule of law.
The concept of access to justice has become a global issue and has received recognition locally, regionally, and internationally. The right of access to justice is a fundamental human right which is not a “nice-to-have”, but a “must-have”. The ability to access justice unlocks all the other rights that a citizen has in any constitution of the country which she or he lives in. Freedom under a democracy is meaningless if people are not able to access their rights. Therefore, the right of access to justice is a fundamental human and democratic right which is a central pillar of a free and equal society founded on the rule of law.
5 Apr 2019
The Constitution of South Africa provides for justiciable socio-economic rights. The right of access to adequate housing is one of the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights in section 26 of the Constitution. The Constitutional Court in Jaftha v Schoeman and Others, Van Rooyen v Stoltz and Others 2005 (2) SA 140 (CC) stated the importance of the right of access to adequate housing in the following terms:
“Section 26 must be seen as making that decisive break from the past. It emphasises the importance of adequate housing and in particular security of tenure in our new constitutional democracy. The indignity suffered as a result of evictions from homes, forced removals and the relocation to land often wholly inadequate for housing needs has to be replaced with a system in which the state must strive to provide access to adequate housing for all and, where that exists, refrain from permitting people to be removed unless it can be justified.”
The Constitution of South Africa provides for justiciable socio-economic rights. The right of access to adequate housing is one of the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights in section 26 of the Constitution. The Constitutional Court in Jaftha v Schoeman and Others, Van Rooyen v Stoltz and Others 2005 (2) SA 140 (CC) stated the importance of the right of access to adequate housing in the following terms:
“Section 26 must be seen as making that decisive break from the past. It emphasises the importance of adequate housing and in particular security of tenure in our new constitutional democracy. The indignity suffered as a result of evictions from homes, forced removals and the relocation to land often wholly inadequate for housing needs has to be replaced with a system in which the state must strive to provide access to adequate housing for all and, where that exists, refrain from permitting people to be removed unless it can be justified.”
29 March 2019
The Constitution of South Africa provides for justiciable socio-economic rights. The right of access to adequate housing is one of the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights in section 26 of the Constitution. The Constitutional Court in Jaftha v Schoeman and Others, Van Rooyen v Stoltz and Others 2005 (2) SA 140 (CC) stated the importance of the right of access to adequate housing in the following terms:
29 March 2019
On 13 November 2018, the Daily Maverick published an article written by Professor Belinda Bozzoli, a Member of Parliament and the Democratic Alliance’s shadow Minister for Higher Education and Training, entitled “What happens when universities start to decay: The case for Unisa”. As a whole, the article is a vituperative attempt to undermine the credibility of the South African Human Rights Commission (‘the Commission’) and shows a patent lack of comprehension of its role and the methodologies employed in the course of its investigations. Her observations, understood properly in context, recruits the pernicious sentiment that the Commission is moribund and needs resuscitation. It conveys the message that the Commission does not have the ability and depth to carry out its constitutional and legislative mandate and therefore is not worthy of the respect accorded to it as an institution mandated to carry the vital function of strengthening constitutional democracy.
29 march 2019
I hate tribalism with the same vigor that many black South Africans show whenever a racist incident occurs. Every time I hear someone uttering degrading statements about my tribe, Tsonga, I feel doubly discriminated against. I am black and Tsonga.
29 March 2019
The concept of access to justice has become a global issue and has received recognition locally, regionally, and internationally. The right of access to justice is a fundamental human right which is not a “nice-to-have”, but a “must-have”. The ability to access justice unlocks all the other rights that a citizen has in any constitution of the country which she or he is resident in. Freedom under a democracy is meaningless if people are not able to access their rights. Therefore, the right of access to justice is a fundamental human and democratic right which is a central pillar of a free and equal society founded on the rule of law.
The concept of access to justice has become a global issue and has received recognition locally, regionally, and internationally. The right of access to justice is a fundamental human right which is not a “nice-to-have”, but a “must-have”. The ability to access justice unlocks all the other rights that a citizen has in any constitution of the country which she or he is resident in. Freedom under a democracy is meaningless if people are not able to access their rights. Therefore, the right of access to justice is a fundamental human and democratic right which is a central pillar of a free and equal society founded on the rule of law.
28 March 2019
The United Nations has dedicated the 22rd of March as World Water Day, in efforts to raise awareness about this vital resource and to encourage commitments by States that in the quest for water, no one should be left behind. January 2019 marked five years after the tragic death of Michael Komape, a 5 year old boy who helplessly drowned in excrement after falling into a pit latrine in 2014. The incident was sadly not the first to occupy prominent headlines exposing the shockingly unacceptable state of school infrastructure in South Africa.
The United Nations has dedicated the 22rd of March as World Water Day, in efforts to raise awareness about this vital resource and to encourage commitments by States that in the quest for water, no one should be left behind. January 2019 marked five years after the tragic death of Michael Komape, a 5 year old boy who helplessly drowned in excrement after falling into a pit latrine in 2014. The incident was sadly not the first to occupy prominent headlines exposing the shockingly unacceptable state of school infrastructure in South Africa.
28 March 2019
The post-apartheid South African society as per section 1 of the 1996 Constitution is founded on values of equality, the advancement of human rights and non-racialism amongst others. Despite many measures, initiatives and efforts, including the enactment of laws, policies and establishment of institutions such as the South African Human Rights Commission; to build a South Africa where all those who live in it, black and white, equally belong; the challenge of racism and its polarizing effects still persist in our beloved country.
The post-apartheid South African society as per section 1 of the 1996 Constitution is founded on values of equality, the advancement of human rights and non-racialism amongst others. Despite many measures, initiatives and efforts, including the enactment of laws, policies and establishment of institutions such as the South African Human Rights Commission; to build a South Africa where all those who live in it, black and white, equally belong; the challenge of racism and its polarizing effects still persist in our beloved country.
28 March 2019
The previous year was riddled with scandals such as the looting of VBS Mutual Bank, as outlined in the report on behalf of the South African Reserve Bank, by Advocate Terry Motau, entitled The Great Bank Heist.
This is but one of the many issues of rampant corruption and a deterioration in governance and accountability in both private and public sectors, in recent times.
The previous year was riddled with scandals such as the looting of VBS Mutual Bank, as outlined in the report on behalf of the South African Reserve Bank, by Advocate Terry Motau, entitled The Great Bank Heist.
This is but one of the many issues of rampant corruption and a deterioration in governance and accountability in both private and public sectors, in recent times.
14 March 2019
The call for the expropriation of land without compensation emerged again in the Economic Freedom Fighters’ call for poor people to occupy vacant land. This call has also culminated in a questioning of whether Section 25 of the Constitution needs to be amended to address the land question.
The call for the expropriation of land without compensation emerged again in the Economic Freedom Fighters’ call for poor people to occupy vacant land. This call has also culminated in a questioning of whether Section 25 of the Constitution needs to be amended to address the land question.
10 March 2019
A person’s right to dignity and ‘security in and control over their body’, both in the Bill of Rights, provide for the acceptance of euthanasia, write Tseliso Thipanyane and Fikile Makane.
Human dignity is the essence of what defines us as individuals and as members of our respective societies and communities. There is no us or me without dignity, or botho or ubuntu, as referred to in the Sesotho and Nguni language groups in South Africa.
A person’s right to dignity and ‘security in and control over their body’, both in the Bill of Rights, provide for the acceptance of euthanasia, write Tseliso Thipanyane and Fikile Makane.
Human dignity is the essence of what defines us as individuals and as members of our respective societies and communities. There is no us or me without dignity, or botho or ubuntu, as referred to in the Sesotho and Nguni language groups in South Africa.
12 March 2019
On Sunday night, the 3rd March 2019, many South Africans bore witness to a video of what appears to be Bongekile Simelane – commonly known by her stage-name, Babes Wedumo – being allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo. The video was digitally broadcast via her Instagram account and thrust the ongoing discussion around domestic violence and gender-based violence back into the public domain. Subsequent to the incident, Mampintsha has been arrested, released on bail, laid counter charges against Simelane. Social media as well as popular media has been awash with discussion on South Africa’s continued scourge of domestic violence and gender-based violence in general.
On Sunday night, the 3rd March 2019, many South Africans bore witness to a video of what appears to be Bongekile Simelane – commonly known by her stage-name, Babes Wedumo – being allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo. The video was digitally broadcast via her Instagram account and thrust the ongoing discussion around domestic violence and gender-based violence back into the public domain. Subsequent to the incident, Mampintsha has been arrested, released on bail, laid counter charges against Simelane. Social media as well as popular media has been awash with discussion on South Africa’s continued scourge of domestic violence and gender-based violence in general.
05 March 2019
The neglect of women’s sexual and reproductive health is pervasive. Women continue to suffer discrimination in health related issues like menstruation. It is important to note that lack of access to sanitary towels not only has adverse effects on school attendance but it also has ripple effects on the economic development of communities and countries as a whole. It is not just the girls and women who benefit from having proper menstrual hygiene, the broader society and national economies can profit from better menstruation management. Therefore, women’s sexual and reproductive health are not just women’s issues but are societal issues.
The neglect of women’s sexual and reproductive health is pervasive. Women continue to suffer discrimination in health related issues like menstruation. It is important to note that lack of access to sanitary towels not only has adverse effects on school attendance but it also has ripple effects on the economic development of communities and countries as a whole. It is not just the girls and women who benefit from having proper menstrual hygiene, the broader society and national economies can profit from better menstruation management. Therefore, women’s sexual and reproductive health are not just women’s issues but are societal issues.
The South African Human Rights Commission.
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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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