11 July 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

On 11 October 2021, the South African Human Rights Commission (Commission) filed its submission as Third-Party Intervener before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the matter of Semenya v Switzerland (application no. 10934/21). This is the first time for the Commission to be involved in human rights litigation in an international forum. Its engagement thus marks a significant milestone in its work regarding gender equality.

11 July 2023

Attention: Editors and Reporters

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/Commission) will conduct a stakeholder engagement with the Department of High Education and Training and various Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges. The aim of the stakeholder is to foster a culture of human rights, a deeper understanding of human rights, and increase the realisation of human rights to enable participants to assist in identifying human rights abuses within the institutions.

01 June 23

A Knoflokskraal settlement community leader has come under fire for allegedly using the k-word in a heated voice clip over a land dispute. The Khoisan community moved onto the land in Grabouw in 2020, which is reportedly owned by the Department of Public Works.

28 Jun 2023

AN INVESTIGATION into possible human rights abuse concerning the water quality and safety in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is under way. This, after residents raised the alarm that a cancercausing byproduct was found during tests conducted in the water earlier this year. The SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC said an investigation was pending into the water quality in the municipality, after it received complaints from civic movements. Eastern Cape SAHRC provincial manager, Eileen Carter, said the complaints were consolidated.

09 Jun 2023

WESTERFORD High School is investigating the source of racist posts on social media purporting to come from a pupil at the Rondebosch school. The account, under the name Grade8a_2023, posted images of black slaves and tagged some pupils at the school, with a caption reading: "I found your family". Among other posts is a picture of a Khoisan person accompanied by a caption identifying the person as a teacher at the school. Another image of black slaves chained at the hands and neck is captioned, "who wishes all these black people could leave our classes and go back to where they came from".

06 Jun 2023

THE South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC claims former Springbok wing Ashwin Willemse's failure to respond led to its decision to close the probe into alleged racial discrimination against him at SuperSport. This has raised questions around how it could opt to close the probe without getting to the bottom of why Willemse did not respond. On May 19, 2018, during the postmatch analysis of a Super Rugby match, Willemse left the set, expressing his refusal to be undermined and patronised by fellow studio analysts Nick Mallett and Naas Botha, who had played rugby in the apartheid era. Willemse cited racism as one of the factors that led to his walkout. SAHRC spokesperson, Wisani Baloyi told the Cape Times yesterday that the investigation was in fact closed on March 26, 2021.

05 Jun 2023

NORTH West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha has confirmed that five managers have been transferred from Mahikeng Provincial Hospital pending an investigation into why newborn babies were placed in cardboard boxes. Sambatha confirmed this "precautionary transfer" on Wednesday, 30 May as he gave an update on the latest developments. Last week, the MEC came out to raise concerns about the situation. He revealed that the incident happened on Saturday, 20 May, but management had not been made aware of the matter. "On Thursday, I received a public circulation of picture. Circulating it back to management, I said I can't believe this and need urgent investigation to probe whether indeed this happened in Mahikeng and what the reason for this was," he said.

11 Jun 2023

Hoorskool Namakwaland grade 10 pupil Isaac van Zyl, 17, says his cornrows are 'part of who I am'. Picture: Supplied School backs down after banning pupil for his cornrows By PREGA GOVENDER The governing body of a Northern Cape school has been forced to reverse its controversial decision to ban a pupil from attending class because of his cornrow hairstyle after the intervention of the provincial education department. Calvin Watt, the secretary of the governing body of Hoerskool Namakwaland in Springbok, informed Elisma van Zyl, the mother of grade 10 pupil Isaac van Zyl, in a final notice dated May 30 that her son would not be allowed at school in the new term in July if his hair is not cut "neat and short". Watt, acting on behalf of the governing body, said Van Zyl was aware that her son "refuses to obey the disciplinary code of the school" concerning his hair. "The governing body has after consultations with various role players, including the education department, decided that Isaac, 17, will not be allowed at school until he fulfils the required cleanliness rule." But the education department told the Sunday Times it had asked the governing body to provide evidence of its consultation process with the department. Watt stated in his letter to Van Zyl that if a pupil is allowed to ignore the rules "it leads other learners to ignore rules they don't agree with". "It will eventually lead to lawlessness and a school that won't be effectively managed.

30 Jun 2023

Nicole Barlow' FACEBOOK Limpho Hani labels Barlow `a racist liar' She says her apology for Hani slur disingenuous By Lindile Sifile Limpho Hani, the widow of slain SACP leader Chris Hani, has lashed out at Nicole Barlow, labeling her a "racist liar". Limpho was responding to claims by Barlow that she had written to the Hani family to apologise following her offensive tweet at the weekend. Barlow on Sunday caused controversy on Twitter with a comment she made on a story in the Sunday Times, about mineral resource minister Gwede Mantashe ditching the signing of green energy deal to attend a Cosatu event. Barlow had posted a message about a missed opportunity to "do a Chris Hani" on Mantashe, who was in Boksburg at the time. Chris Hani lived in Dawn Park, Boksburg, when he was gunned down on April 10 1993.

05 Jun 2023

Children murders a great concern for the SAHRC The attempted murders of kids have gone up by 8.8%, reveals crime statistics By Roma Mashale The South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC says child murders are a concern despite a drop reflected in the recent crime stats.