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27 September 2018

The Western Cape Regional Commissioner at South African Human Rights Commission, Reverend Chris Nissen says the treatment of concerned community members by members of Saps during the "Total Shutdown" protests is completely unacceptable.
The police used stun grenades to disperse the crowd that was taking part in the Total Shutdown movement protesting against crime and gangsterism in their communities.
27 September 2018

The SAHRC, the Emfuleni Mayor & the Department of Water and Sanitation are expected to weigh in on allegations that vast amounts of raw sewage have been pumped into the river.
27 September 2018
 
The minister is meeting with community members following Tuesday’s demonstrations against crime and gang violence.
26 September 2018

Raw sewerage continues to flow into the Vaal River, despite pleas from environmentalists and concerned citizens.
Pollution of the Vaal River is at critical levels. The Vaal, which is the largest tributary of the great Orange River, has been used as a dumping site for toxic material, including raw sewerage. Major media outlets in South Africa have documented the rapid decline in water quality, which now threatens human health and safety as well as nearby ecosystems.
26 September 2018

CAPE TOWN – The employment equity and work opportunity targets for people with disabilities should increase to at least 7 percent by 2030 according to the Department of Social Development’s White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Yet, a report by the South African Human Rights Commission titled: Research brief on disability and equality in South Africa suggests that figure might be unattainable. The 2017 report states that in 2005, the public sector set its employment target for people with disabilities at two per cent for that year, more than 10 years later this target has still not been met.
26 September 2018

The organisation says it has made a written and verbal submission to the commission on the collapse of the municipality’s finances and service delivery.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) on Wednesday called on the South African Human Rights Commission to order an intervention and financial rescue plan for the Emfuleni local municipality.
26 September 2018

The future of the Masiphumelele Wetlands informal settlement has been a bone of contention between the City of Cape Town and the community for over 15 years. Almost a year ago, the City undertook to present a development plan for the area at the end of June 2018. Three months later, the community is still in the dark, GroundUp reports.
26 September 2018

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) called on the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to order an intervention and financial rescue plan for Emfuleni Local Municipality.
The Commission is holding hearings this week into whether the pollution of the Vaal River violates human rights.
26 September 2018

“With all the gang violence, innocent people are being caught in the crossfire,” said Nadia Mayman De Grass, one of the protest organisers. “We have no peace in our community.
“We cannot face burying our children at this young age. Gangsters are acting with impunity against us. And government is just taking no notice of our plea. We are being told constantly that they don’t have enough resources,” she said.
26 September 2018

The department of water and sanitation has warned that the pollution of rivers should not be seen as something that is facing small municipalities only but also the metros in Gauteng.
 The department's regional head, Sibusiso Mthembu, told Sowetan on Wednesday that  all the three metros – Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni - are also guilty of polluting natural water in the province.
25 September 2018

The Save the Vaal Environment (Save) has called for someone to be held accountable and even face jail time for the sewerage that has been running into the Vaal River for years.
The call was made by Save during its presentation during an inquiry conducted by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) into the sewerage which is running into the Vaal River.
25 September 2018

Water used to wash corpses by mortuaries and funeral parlours could be worsening the contamination

Water used to wash corpses by mortuaries and funeral parlours could be worsening the contamination of the Vaal River‚ the Funeral Industry Reformed Association (Fira) warned on Tuesday.
25 September 2018

Makana should have at least eight operational ambulances. There is no public information available about the Department of Health’s local emergency medical services, but it seems little has changed since a shocking 2015 report by the Human Rights Commission. Kathryn Cleary reports.
22 September 2018

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Human Rights Commission and the University of Johannesburg have hosted a dialogue on Cyberbullying and rape culture at tertiary institutions.
Students across the country have been calling on Universities to overhaul policies to tackle the scourge of sexual offences, harassment or assault.
Lebogang Mawelela a Community Engagement Specialist from the University of Johannesburg spoke to eNCA.

Source: ENCA

22 September 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission says it views the apparent increase in racial utterances on social media in a serious light.
21 September 2018

The minister says the visits form part of the 'ongoing frank and open discussions' with mining companies‚ communities and other stakeholders

Mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe will have his hands full at the weekend as he tries to defuse growing opposition to mining on community-owned land in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Wild Coast.
20 September 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission was shocked to discover that 52 babies are still in the neonatal unit of a hospital where an outbreak of Klebsiella has killed six infants.
Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Sunday that babies would be relocated to provide an “opportunity to scrub down and decontaminate the environment” in the neonatal unit at Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus‚ east of Johannesburg.
20 September 2018

Durban - As Kessie Nair appeared in the Verulam Magistrate's Court on Thursday for allegedly calling president Cyril Ramaphosa the K-word, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation expressed its concerned at Nair's video that went viral on Wednesday.
Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, the national spokesperson for the Hawks said Nair was arrested late on Wednesday following the video clip that contained derogatory and provocative utterances against the president of South Africa. He confirmed a case of crimen injuria and inciting public violence was opened.
20 September 2018

Troubles of overcrowding at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital, especially in the neonatal ward, have been an ongoing concern for staff at the hospital, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has heard.
Staff members were speaking to SAHRC officials during a site inspection at the hospital in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
19 September 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it will support the families of the babies who died due to the Klebsiella pneumonia outbreak at an East Rand hospital.

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Understanding PAIA

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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