“The South African Police Service should adopt the human rights procedure when dealing with public protests,” explained Provincial Manager, Buang Jones. Regarding the #FeesMust fall movement, Advocate Lawrence Mushwana, chairperson for the SAHRC, supports the movement as it is a way of moving forward in the country. “Our Chairperson, Advocate Mushwana condemns the destruction of property and burning of school property. However, he does support the students in their fight for free quality education in the country,” said Jones. The SAHRC aims to use various media platforms in the Free State in order to make people aware of their basic human rights in the province. This is because the levels of public protection and knowledge of such issues is still unsatisfactory in the province and the SAHRC hopes to ensure access to justice for all. One of the things that the Human Rights Commission is tasked with is to amplify rights in education for children in rural and farming areas.

Amongst the problems that were listed, were the lack of water and sanitation, housing and payment of paternity tests. It was picked up at the Human Rights Clinic that people could not afford paternity tests and that was when it was decided that the commission would engage with the provincial Department of Home Affairs. “This becomes a vicious cycle because you would find that people who do not know who their real parents are and cannot afford a paternity test, are not able to get birth certificates. They will end up growing up to even have their own children without being able to register them because they do not have a birth certificates themselves,” explained Neo Tsikwane, SAHRC Advocacy Officer.

Source: Dumelang news