South Africa hosted the Global Child Forum on 08 September 2015 in Pretoria. This marked the first time the Global Child Forum was held on the African continent. The Forum’s theme was Children and Business Rights in Southern Africa.

On Monday, 28th September 2015, the South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) hosted the 12th annual National Information Officers Forum (NIOF). The event fell on the international “Right to Know” Day. The NIOF has become a prominent feature in the calendar of the access to information community and the event has provided a safe space for implementers to have frank conversations about their perceptions, capacities, challenges and best practices in complying with PAIA.

Lindiwe Khumalo is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission. She was appointed to serve in this capacity with effect from 1 May, 2015. Prior to this position, Ms Khumalo was the Chief Operations Officer, overseeing the execution of the core business of the Commission nationally,

21 Nov 2014 The Convention on the Rights of the Child has been signed by 194 countries; it is the most ratified United Nations treaty in history November 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). On November 20 1989 government representatives from across the world gathered at the UN General Assembly to formalise an international treaty that would hold nations to a set of rules ensuring that the rights of children are protected.

Migration The Commission’s work on migration has an impact on children in that the enactment, implementation and any non compliance of migration laws affect migrant children as it does their parents.

The office of Commissioner Malatji has the mandate to promote and protect the rights of persons with disability. Recognizing that children with disability will be unable to participate fully in the society if attitudinal and environmental barriers are not removed, the Commissioner is passionate about ensuring that rights of children with disabilities are protected and promoted.

The South African Government has placed human rights at the heart of its development agenda, and has enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996 the right to an environment that is not harmful to one’s health and wellbeing; and one that is protected for the benefit of present and future generations. This is central to the Government’s sustainable development agenda, and also to Commissioner Janet Love’s portfolio on Environment, Natural Resources, and Rural Development.

The Constitution and the legislation protect vulnerable people (especially children) from being evicted into homelessness. Section 26 of the Constitution seeks to prevent arbitrary evictions. To give effect to that right the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PIE) was enacted. Germane to this analysis is section 4 which prescribes that an eviction order should only be granted if it is ‘just and equitable’. The considerations which the court must have regard to a priori determining that an eviction order is just and equitable are the rights and needs of the “elderly, children and disabled people”.

The SAHRC has received and accepted an unconditional apology by Ms Vivienne Basson who was accused of discrimination on the basis of race and culture following her post of Facebook earlier this year. The apology was received during a conciliation meeting with Ms Basson recently.

With the release of the Living Conditions Survey of 2009, its data indicated wide and deeply worrisome disparities between children living in poverty and children not living in poverty, with respect to full access to such basic needs as water, sanitation, refuse removal, electricity and formal housing. The data also indicated that there were certain groups of children who suffered from such lack to a greater extent and were more deeply mired in poverty than others.