The MOU was signed at a meeting between the SAHRC and the Mayor of Ekurhuleni Municipality, Mr Mzwandile Masina, on 31 January 2018. Ekurhuleni Municipality is the first municipality in Gauteng to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the SAHRC.

At the signing, Mayor Masina emphasised the importance of institutions that support constitutional democracy, such as the SAHRC, and the need for all levels of government to work with the Ekurhuleni Municipality and provide the necessary support.

The aim of the memorandum of understanding is to institutionalise a referral system for complaints; to streamline processes and to ensure that human rights, constitutional values and administrative justice are upheld throughout adjudication processes of the City of Ekurhuleni and other agencies.

In practice, the MOU is intended to ensure that all municipal by-laws, policies, billing disputes, tender adjudication committees, and all actions undertaken by the Municipality, are in line with the Constitution, and to embed a human rights approach in all processes, policies, and practices.
Further, the Commission has committed to assist the Ekurhuleni Municipality with appropriate advocacy initiatives, in order to cultivate human rights-oriented institutional culture in the municipality; to create an environment of awareness and foster active participation in human rights advocacy work in all spheres of the city.

Furthermore the overarching objective of this memorandum of understanding is to establish good working relationships between the municipality and the SAHRC through assistance, cooperation and empowerment of ward councillors, ward committees and constitutionally structured organisations that assist communities to develop context-specific activities in human rights education, advocacy and protection.

Ends

For further information contact the Gauteng Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission: Buang Jones, Provincial Manager, T: 011 877 3752 / C: 078 617 0476; E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Philip Molekoa: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 011 877 3754 / 083 731 0662