Joanne Joseph speaks to SAHRC Communications Co-ordinator Gushwell Brooks about the Commission beginning its own investigation into sexual grooming allegations swelling around Emfuleni Mayor Simon Mofokeng.

10  November 2017

Source: Power FM

13 November 2017

THE legacy of the icon of liberalism Helen Suzman will live for many years to come after the South African Post Office issued a stamp to commemorate her birthday.

13 November 2017

The civil lawsuit against the State over the death of a six year-old Limpopo boy who drowned in a pit latrine got underway at the High Court in Polokwane on Monday.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

14 November 2017

The South African Human Rights Commission’s Eastern Cape Provincial Office has been inundated with complaints relating to a whole range of issues affecting the delivery of quality basic education in the province. To this end, the Eastern Cape Commission’s office will be hosting a Provincial Indaba on Education with a particular focus on School Infrastructure.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Monday 13 November 2017

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or SAHRC) will host a National Investigative Hearing on the Status of Mental Health Care in South Africa, on Tuesday, 14 November 2017 until Wednesday, 15 November 2017 at the SAHRC Head Office in Johannesburg. In handing down his report into the Esidimeni debacle, the Health Ombud, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, recommended that the Commission be requested to undertake, nationally, a systematic and systemic review of human rights compliance and possible violations nationally related to mental health in South Africa. The National Investigative Hearing (the Hearing) is therefore a direct response to that recommendation and aims at looking at the national picture on mental health care.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

13th November 2017

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission) will convene a two day National Investigative Hearing on the Status of Mental Health Care in South Africa from Tuesday, the 14th November 2017 until Wednesday the 15th November 2017 at the SAHRC Head Office in Johannesburg.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

13 November 2017

The Mpumalanga Commission’s office will be hosting a stakeholder engagement with traditional leaders on “Human Rights and Dignity.” This is a follow-up engagement on the resolution taken during the stakeholder engagement held on 29 September 2016. The engagement was based on the systematic complaints on violation of human dignity received by the office during the 2015/16 financial year.  It was resolved that the Commission should provide workshops to inter alia community based institutions on human rights as enshrined in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Monday 13 November 2017

In February 2014 the South African Human Rights Commission launched its Report on the Right to Access Sufficient Water and Decent Sanitation in South Africa and dedicated this report to 6 year old Michael Komape, who in 2014 fell into a pit toilet at his school and died tragically. The Commission’s report reiterated Government’s constitutional obligation to co-operate across all spheres and departments to protect and advance human rights, recognising that rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent.

THE United Nations designated October 31 as the World Cities Day. This day was adopted by the General Assembly on 27 December 2013.

10 November 2017

The World Cities Day is meant to galvanise efforts among different role players to address the challenges posed by urbanisation and contribute towards sustainable development. The general theme of World Cities Day is Bet- ter City, Better Life, while each year a differ- ent sub-theme is selected, to either promote successes of urbanisation, or address specific challenges resulting from urbanisation. The 2017 theme for World Cities Day was Innova- tive Governance, Open Cities.

Attention: Editors and Reporters

Tuesday 7 November 2017

The South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission or SAHRC) is particularly worried about the rate at which children are being abused in South Africa. The Commission is particularly concerned by recent reports of the alleged dissemination of semi-nude photos of a 14 year old minor by Emfuleni Mayor Simon Mofokeng. This and the alleged pre-existing sexual nature of the relationship he had with the girl child is construed as sexual grooming, which is a criminal offence as stated in Section 18 of the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Act, a violation of the child’s right not to be abused as stated in section 28 of the Constitution as well as her right to privacy. These constitutional rights are also protected within international and regional treaties, which South Africa has signed and ratified.