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25 MAY 2018

ATTENTION: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will host the following interventions in commemoration of Child Protection Week (CPW):
Attention: Editors and Reporters
25 May 2018

The Eastern Cape Provincial Office will be embarking on a Child Friendly Campaign by visiting two Child and Youth Centre’s in the Province. During the campaign, the South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) will be promoting its Child Friendly Complaints Handling Procedures (CFCHP). The campaign is also meant to empower children with information that shall enable them to identify human rights  violations and report such directly to the Commission.
Attention Editors and Reporters
25th May 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC or Commission) is deeply concerned by the The State of Local Government and Financial Management 2017 report, released on Wednesday 23 May 2018, by Auditor-General, Kimi Makwetu. In the view of the Commission, there is a direct link between billions being lost through irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure by those tasked with managing the finances of municipalities and the lack of service delivery which in turn inhibits and infringes on rights of access to socio-economic rights of many South Africans, and has ignited so many violent and destructive protests.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
24 May 2018

The Mpumalanga Provincial Office will be embarking on the Child Protection Week campaign by visiting five schools in the province. During the campaign, the South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) will be promoting its Child Friendly Complaints Handling Procedures (CFCHP). The campaign is also meant to empower children with information that shall enable them to identify human rights threats or violations and report such directly to the Commission.
Attention Editors and Reporters
17th May 2017

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is observed on 17th May and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) rights violations and stimulate interest in SOGIE rights work worldwide. The date was chosen to commemorate the decision to remove homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990.
Attention: Editors and Media

15 May 2018

On 09 April 2018 the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or SAHRC) initiated an investigation at Tembisa Hospital following media reports of patients being subjected to inhumane treatment at the hands of hospital staff.  Arising allegations indicate that the provision of healthcare services at the hospital have been substandard.  At the crux of the investigation are allegations that patients are made to sleep on the floor, there are unreasonable delays in providing healthcare services, there is a shortage of medication and qualified staff and patients are ill-treated.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

11 May 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (Gauteng Provincial Office) has initiated Equality Court proceedings against Springs farm owner and his family. On 9th December 2017, the family allegedly forced an employee to drink litres of faecal matter before attempting to drown him in a septic tank on their farm. It is alleged that the farm in question has been the site of continuous human rights violations.

Attention: Editors and Reporters
Friday 11 May 2018   

 The MEC of Health for KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Hon. Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, will appear before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC, the Commission) at a hearing on the oncology crisis in KZN. The Hearing is scheduled for 14 May 2018 at 10h00 at the Commission’s Head office in Braamfontein.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Friday, 11 May 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) strongly condemns the gruesome attack and acts of arson which took place on Thursday, 10 May 2018 at a mosque in Verulam in the KwaZulu Natal Province in which a man was killed and two others badly injured. The Commission is dismayed at these actions which display a flagrant disregard for constitutionally enshrined rights to life, dignity and freedom of religion.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

11 May 2018  

The SAHRC, DOJ&CD, and ProBono.Org in partnership with stakeholders from government departments and civil society organisations will be hosting an outreach clinic in Verulam. This initiative is designed to inform the community about their rights and responsibilities; to create a platform for the community to engage directly with stakeholders and to provide a free legal advisory desk.
Attention: Editors and Reporters
07 May 2018  
 
The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) Gauteng Provincial Office will convene the final leg of the hearings relating to the investigation into allegations of unfair discrimination, racism, sexism and harassment at the University of South Africa (UNISA) from 08 – 10 May 2018.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

Wednesday, 02 May 2018

The United Nations General Assembly declared the 3rd of May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The day also coincides with the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.

26 April 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC or Commission) together with the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) will host a joint dialogue on human rights and policing in South Africa on 2 and 3 May 2018.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

Thursday, 26 April 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (the SAHRC or the Commission) observes and commemorates Freedom Day on the 27th April, along with the rest of South African society.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

Friday, 20 April 2018

While it is encouraging to see communities exercising their constitutional rights to demonstrate, to picket and present petitions, the level of violence, obstruction of freedom of movement and scale of destruction of property accompanying those activities in Mahikeng, is cause for great concern.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

Friday, 20 April 2018

Since the issuance of its investigative report titled, Dr Imran Keeka, Democratic Alliance, MPL v Addington Hospital, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal & MEC: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal (commonly referred to as the KwaZulu-Natal Oncology Crisis),  the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC or Commission) has engaged with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health with the view to bringing about tangible improvements to the situation of lack of access to Oncology health care users in KwaZulu-Natal that had prompted the Commission to investigate in the first place.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

Wednesday, 18 April 2018

On 6 March 2018 the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC or Commission) convened one of its statutory advisory committees on issues of law enforcement and prevention of torture. The Committee is chaired by Commissioner Chris Nissen and other members including Adv Tseliso Thipanyane (Chief Executive Officer of the SAHRC), Justice Johann van der Westhuizen (Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services), Adv Vusi Pikoli (Western Cape Police Ombudsman, Prof Christof Heyns (University of Pretoria), Prof Lillian Artz (University of Cape Town), Mr Sean Tait (APCOF) and Ms Annah Moyo (CSVR).
Attention: Editors and Reporters

Monday, 16 April 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Office, facilitated a mediation process with Woolworths Proprietary Limited (“Woolworths”) and Guide-Dogs Association South Africa, following an incident, where a visually and hearing impaired patron was denied access to a Woolworths Coffee Shop at the Cascades Shopping Centre in Pietermaritzburg. Whilst this specific incident was dealt with speedily by Woolworths, the SAHRC established that this was not an isolated incident involving Woolworths.
Attention: Editors and Reporters

6 April 2018

On Wednesday, 28th March 2018, H&M’s country manager to South Africa Mr Pär Darj met with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/Commission) to present H&M’s plans to remedy the effects of its racist sweater advertisement of January 2018 - for which H&M has unreservedly apologised – as well as plans to address concerns raised by the SAHRC during its meeting with H&M on 19 January 2018.

Attention Editors and Reporters
05 April 2018

In April 2017 the South African Human Rights Commission (The Commission) received several complaints, namely, from Mr. Michael Biribauer, Mr Shane Opperman and Mr Daniel van der Heever, in their capacity as concerned private citizens and Advocate Anton Alberts, in his capacity as a Member of Parliament, representing the Freedom Front Plus Political Party against the Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni, Cllr. Mzwandile Masina.

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The Human Rights Commission is the national institution established to support constitutional democracy. It is committed to promote respect for, observance of and protection of human rights for everyone without fear or favour.

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