This National Launch coincides with the anniversaries of pertinent developments and milestones related to themes of nation-building, redress, and social compacting. First, 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the South African Human Rights Commission. Second, the year 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter. Third, 2025 marks thirty years since the promulgation of South Africa’s Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act in 1995, which established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (“the TRC”). Finally, 2025 is also the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1965 and ratified by South Africa in 1998.
On first day of the National Launch, the Commission will be honouring the late anti-colonial activist, intellectual, and key proponent of non-racialism and Pan-Africanism, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe. The Commission will also be honouring Nomarussia Bonase, a pioneering human rights and gender justice advocate who is known for her work with the Khulumani Support Group and the Khulumani Galela Campaign where she fights tirelessly for the rights of apartheid-era survivors, and Gareth Prince, a legal trailblazer and human rights advocate known for his persistent fight to defend the rights of the Rastafari community. The Commission will be bestowing Citations of Honour upon Sobukwe, Bonase and Prince.
Day one of the National Launch will include panel debates on the role of the Constitution in constituting a truly post-apartheid society, the role of the political economy on social cohesion, the lived experiences of historically marginalised persons and communities, the role of the creative arts, mainstream, and social media in social harmony and nation-building, and the unfinished business of reparations, redress, and reconciliation. The panellists represent diverse actors from government, non-governmental organisations and social movements, academia, big business, youth, faith-based organisations, social media and traditional media practitioners, and artists.
Day two will require attendees to reflect on the state of social harmony in South Africa, 30 years into democracy. They will include the youth perspective on the ‘South Africa that we want’ from TVET SHiNE club representatives.
The third and final day will be a workshop in which the Commission’s two advisory committees of experts on the National Question and Anti-Racism and Diversity Education and Sensitivity Training will reflect on insights and recommendations from the preceding two days and propose a roadmap for the rolling out of the Campaign: Promoting a Culture of Human Rights and Social Harmony through the Resolution of the National Question. The Commission envisages that the Campaign will draw from the past while crafting a human rights-based future where everyone experiences a sense of affective and material belongingness. Our premise is that South Africa will not realise a culture of human rights without a collective sense of belonging based on upholding the dignity of all, substantive equality, social justice, and constitutionalism.
The convening will be held as follows:
- Date: 25 - 27 March 2025
- Time: 08h30 - 17h00
- Venue: The Capital on the Park, 101 Katherine Street, Sandton
Members of the media are invited to cover the three-day convening
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
For further information or inquiries, please contact Mr Wisani Baloyi on 081 016 8308 or wbaloyi@sahrc.org.za or Given Makhuvele on 082 773 4428/ 072 1977 581 (WhatsApp) email on gmakhuvele@sahrc.org.za.