28 October 2020
Attention: Editors and Reporters

The SAHRC Limpopo Provincial Office is conducting a Human Rights Champions’ Training with identified community members across the Limpopo Province in order to share and popularise its constitutional mandate.

Monday, 19 October 2020

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission (the SAHRC or the Commission) is in receipt of a complaint regarding a teacher’s self-classification as “African” after his race had already been officially recorded as “Coloured”. The Commission is in the process of assessing the complaint in terms of its Complaints Handling Procedures and will further seek to establish whether the official use of apartheid-era racial categories leads to human rights violations. In assessing the complaint, the Commission will also consider that the charges brought against the teacher by the Western Cape Education Department, have since been withdrawn.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Thursday 1st October 2020

                      
The 2nd of October 2020 marks a milestone for the constitutional democracy and the promotion and protection of human rights in South Africa as the South Human Rights Commission (the SAHRC or the Commission) celebrates twenty five years of its existence.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

16 October 2020

During May and later in 2020, the South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) in Mpumalanga received complaints against Lekwa Local Municipality (Lekwa) regarding various service delivery challenges in Standerton, ranging from water cuts to electricity cuts and unattended water leakages. Issues raised included the poor quality of the water supplied; continuing sewage spillages; dysfunctional sewage pump stations, resulting in raw sewage flowing onto the streets and into storm water drains, the Vaal river and people’s homes; none collection of refuse; and potholes on the roads.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Thursday, 15 October 2020

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or the SAHRC) is appealing for calm in the Free State town of Senekal where it is reported that, among others, the Economic Freedom Fighters, Afriforum and farmers are scheduled to protest on Friday, 16 October 2020.
This is in the wake of the recent murder of farm manager in Senekal, Mr Brendin Horner, which led to a mass protest at the Senekal Magistrates’ Court where two accused persons had been set to appear for Horner’s murder.

13 October 2020

Durban - TRIBUTES have been pouring in for renowned human rights lawyer Priscilla Jana, who died on Saturday, aged 76.
The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said the country “has lost a giant who sacrificed herself selflessly for us all to enjoy the fruits of the constitutional democracy that we enjoy today”.

12 October 2020

The South African Communist Party (SACP) sends its deepest condolences to the family of Priscilla Jana, who died on Saturday 10 October 2020, aged 76. Popularly known as a peoples’ lawyer, Jana, a human rights lawyer, selflessly represented many political prisoners during the apartheid era, most notably Solomon Mahlangu who was hanged by the apartheid regime.

11 October 2020

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa has lost a human rights icon and a formidable legal intellect with the passing of South African Human Rights Commission Deputy Chairperson Priscilla Jana.

Ms Devikarani Priscilla Sewpal Jana passed away on Saturday, 10 October 2020, at the age of 76.

5 October 2020

SAHRC has bemoaned the lack of action on numerous Special Investigating Unit (SIU) reports over the last few years.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has proposed a review of the Public Protector Act in order to enhance efforts to combat corruption. In a webinar earlier today, the SAHRC said it would like to see a tightening of existing legislative frameworks.
The organisation has also bemoaned the lack of action on numerous Special Investigating Unit (SIU) reports over the last few years.
The outcry over COVID-19 looting and last week’s arrest of a number of politicians and a businessman around the Free State asbestos tender has revived discussions around corruption.

06 October 2020
 
The actions of staff at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, who embarked on a strike in May 2018, were tantamount to a human rights violation as they denied a considerable number of patients the right to access health-care services.