14 June 2017

Marchelle Abrahams

Discrimination is rife in South African schools – and it’s becoming a problem that is getting hard to deal with, writes Marchelle Abrahams.

"I'm so offended right now. F***ing k*****s don’t know how to pronounce my name. Yoh they going to get it from me on Monday. You don’t dare put me on that (sic)”.

Media Statement:

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Monday, 12 June 2017

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) recognises and commemorates World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June 2017.  

World Day Against Child Labour was launched by the ILO on 12 June 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Friday, 9 June 2017

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) welcomes the Randburg Equality Court’s judgment, handed down on 8 June 2017, in the matter of Mkhondo & SAHRC v Vicky Momberg.  The Court has found Ms Momberg guilty of hate speech in terms of Section 10 of the Equality Act, and further found that Constable Mkhondo’s right to human dignity were infringed upon.

10 May 2016

Discrimination is not only often racist in nature, equality in education and other rights are denied to many

By Commissioner Bokankatla Malatji

PRIOR to 1994 South African society was built on an institutionalised system of segregation thot was racially oppressive and discriminatory. However, discrimination did not only take the form of racism hut also manifested through discrimination on the basis of and disability. Read more

21 March 2017

By: Prof. Bongani Majola (Chairperson: South African Human Rights Commission)

Racism on the increase in South Africa?"is the question asked the most asked of the South African Human Rights Commission. The question arises due to the impact of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which have given voice to millions, but have, as a side effect, also complicated both the country's attempts to address the racial discrimination of our past and our efforts at social cohesion. Read more

20 March 2017

Human Rights Day reminds us of sacrifices

RACISM has the ability to undermine the democratic progress of the country and can single-handedly cause deeper divides between race groups. World leaders have often preached about the dangers of racism, including former President Nelson Mandela, who said: “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background or religion. People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate they can be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has urged people from all walks of life to take an Anti-Racism pledge this Human Rights Day. This involves making a personal promise to refrain from hate speech and to embrace diversity. Read more

23 March 2017

The Constitution is clear. All people have the right to dignity, equality and freedom. As the Supreme Court of Appeal once noted, “human dignity has no nationality. It is inherent in all people – citizens and non-citizens alike – simply because they are human”. This inherent right arising out of our humanity extends not only to everyone’s right to life, freedom and security of the person, religion, language and culture, belief and opinion. It also extends in the Constitution to socio-economic rights such as housing; healthcare, food, water and social security; education; amongst a range of other. Read more

21 September 2016

Their objective, apart from making profits, must be to alleviate the inequality in the communities that provide their labour

FOR more than a century, mining has been an extremely lucrative sector in South Africa, contributing significantly to economic growth and development of the country and indeed, the continent. Read more

10 March 2017

As the nation reels from more xeno-phobic violence, another equally egregious form of institutionalised xenophobia played out far from the glare of public attention. It was directed at schoolchildren, com-pounding the violation and infring-ing on the basic right to education.