Attention: Editors and Reporters
Wednesday, 11 November 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) is pleased to announce the appointment of Commissioner Tshepo Madlingozi as Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement (EMLER).

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Wednesday, 11 November 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) welcomes the largely incident free 2026 Local Government Election.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Monday, 09 November 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC/the Commission) Western Cape Provincial Office (WCPO) is announcing a Provincial Inquiry (Inquiry) into the progressive realisation of the right to have access to adequate housing in the Western Cape.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Date: 02 November 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (‘Commission’), through its Gauteng Provincial Office (‘GPO’), has released its Inquiry Report into the State of Water and Sanitation Service Delivery in Gauteng (‘Report’), following its investigative inquiry held from 19 to 21 May 2026.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Date: 02 November 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/ the Commission) confirms that, together with affected parents and caregivers, it has instituted an urgent application in the Makhanda High Court concerning the continued failure to provide scholar transport to more than 40,000 qualifying learners in the Eastern Cape.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Friday, 30 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission’s Gauteng Provincial Office (“Commission”) will launch its Inquiry Report into the State of Water and Sanitation Service Delivery in Gauteng on Monday, 2 November 2026.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Thursday, 28 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) has instituted proceedings in the Western Cape Division of the High Court, against the City of Cape Town.  The application seeks to interdict the transfer of the 49 municipal properties, sold by way of public auction in February 2026, pending a review of the decision by the City of Cape Town to dispose of same.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Saturday, 24 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) condemns the death of a police officer who was allegedly run over by a non-national outside Lichtenburg Mall in North West on 19 October 2026. The suspect has been arrested and appeared in court on a murder charge and immigration-related charges. The Commission condemns all acts of violence, including attacks against law enforcement officers. Such conduct constitutes serious criminal offences and must be addressed through the criminal justice system. No person is above the law, and no criminal act can be justified by the circumstances or nationality of the person responsible.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Saturday, 24 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) condemns the death of a police officer who was allegedly run over by a non-national outside Lichtenburg Mall in North West on 19 October 2026. The suspect has been arrested and appeared in court on a murder charge and immigration-related charges. The Commission condemns all acts of violence, including attacks against law enforcement officers. Such conduct constitutes serious criminal offences and must be addressed through the criminal justice system. No person is above the law, and no criminal act can be justified by the circumstances or nationality of the person responsible.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Friday, 23 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/ the Commission) has noted with concern the recent incident involving the delivery of contaminated water in Region 7 of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (City of Tshwane), affecting areas such as Bronkhorstspruit, Ekangala and Rethabiseng.  The reported hospitalisation of approximately over 400 people, the majority of whom are children, further underscores the urgency of the situation and the need for immediate intervention by the responsible authorities.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Thursday, 22 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/Commission), through its Child Rights Unit (CRU), launches its Conference Report, Children's Rights to Privacy and Safety on Online Platforms: Legislative Gaps and the Case for Reform (“The Report”). The report calls for wide-ranging amendments to South Africa's data protection, films and publications, cybercrime, and telecommunications laws to close gaps that leave children vulnerable to harm in digital spaces.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Wednesday, 21 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), through its Child Rights Unit (CRU), will launch its Conference Report, Children's Rights to Privacy and Safety on Online Platforms: Legislative Gaps and the Case for Reform. The report captures the findings of a stakeholders' conference held on 28 March 2026 in Johannesburg to underscore the urgent need to safeguard children in an increasingly digital world.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Wednesday, 21 October 2026

A new research project profiling all 144 Water Services Authorities across South Africa reveals widespread failures in water service delivery and provides a powerful new tool to hold government accountable for realising the constitutional right to water. The launch of the Water Rights Tracker comes at a time when over 400 people have reportedly suffered gastrointestinal disease after drinking non-chlorinated water in the Bronkhorstspruit area.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Wednesday, 21 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) joins the country in commemorating Black Wednesday, observed annually on 19 October. On this day in 1977, the apartheid government banned The World and Weekend World newspapers, detained journalists and intensified its crackdown on media freedom and organisations resisting apartheid. Black Wednesday remains a stark reminder of the dangers of censorship and the importance of a free and independent media in a constitutional democracy.

19 October 2026

On 21 October 2026, the South African Human Rights Commission and the Claude Leon Chair in Earth Justice and Stewardship launch the Water Rights Tracker. The project maps the progress made in realising the right to water by profiling all 144 Water Services Authorities across the nine provinces of South Africa. The profiles depict a water services sector in crisis.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Friday, 16 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) joins the world in observing World Food Day and takes the opportunity to announce the next phase of its National Investigative Hearing into South Africa’s Food Systems.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Thursday, 15 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC / Commission) is pleased to announce the establishment of its Section 11 Committee on the Right to Education, which held its inaugural meeting on 14 September 2026 at the Commission’s Head Office in Johannesburg.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Date: Monday, 12 October 2026

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC or Commission) welcomes the judgment delivered by the Equality Court in Gqeberha in the matter of South African Human Rights Commission and Another v Dawood Lagardien (Case No. 2391/2023).