Upon assessment of the tweet, the Commission was of the view that it implicated a number of rights listed in the Bill of Rights. Following this, the Commission initiated an own accord investigation and consolidated all complaints received from members of the public into one, and proceeded to assess this matter.

The Commission, in fulfilling its constitutional mandate of promoting and protecting human rights, determined that this matter would be best resolved through a conciliation meeting and called the Mayor to appear before it today for purposes of obtaining more information in order to fully assess the matter and to clarify the social media post on which the complaint was based. This meeting was chaired by Commissioner Angie Makwetla and issues discussed at the meeting included: Migration, Public Statements made by government leaders, Social Cohesion and the critical role played by public figures in combatting or perpetuating stereotypes relating to migration and migrant communities.

On the issue of social cohesion and migration, Commissioner Makwetla noted the Mayor’s apology and expressed the view that there is a need to encourage social cohesion in the City of Johannesburg. She emphasized the importance of constructive interaction between National Government and the City of Johannesburg on migration and documentation of non-nationals.

The Mayor was given a platform to recount his version of events. He stated that he realised that his comments were inappropriate hence his decision to issue a media statement to demonstrate his commitment to contribute to positive social discourse regarding migrants in the City. Upon the conclusion of the conciliation discussion and as part of the settlement, both the Commission and the Mayor have undertaken to do the following:

• The Executive Leadership (Mayor, Mayoral Committee and Senior Management) of the City of Johannesburg will participate in specialised human rights workshop to be facilitated by an eminent human rights practitioner under the auspices of the Commission. Details of this workshop will be provided in due course.
• The City of Johannesburg in collaboration with the Commission will host a Social Cohesion summit in May 2019 with a view to fostering social cohesion between the migrant community and locals; May is Africa Month. The Social Cohesion summit will form part of an integral strategic government programme with the objective to highlight the need for renewed commitment to social cohesion, diversity, integration and adherence to the values of Ubuntu. This will be preceded by a roundtable discussion with relevant stakeholders on the Rule of Law, Development and Migration geared towards social integration, combatting crime and peaceful co-existence.
• The Commission made an undertaking to facilitate a multi-lateral meeting between the Departments of Home Affairs, Labour, Justice and the City of Johannesburg.

The Commission welcomes the commitments made and the settlement reached as it symbolises the Mayor’s continued commitment to serving the people of Johannesburg diligently and with dignity, irrespective of their social origin.

Ends

For interview requests, please contact: Mr Buang Jones (Gauteng Provincial Manager) on 011 877 3752/ 078 617 0476 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. OR Luyanda Mfeka, Director: Mayoral Communications (Office of the Executive Mayor), Contact: 076 171 5978/ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ISSUED BY SAHRC & CITY OF JOHANNESBURG