lodge complaint button
commissioners button
programmes button
provinces button
publications button
calendar button
fraud hotline button
4 November 2021

DURBAN - An investigation panel from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will inquire into, make findings, report and make recommendations and/or directives concerning broad and overarching issues for investigation in relation to the civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021.
29 October 2021

Next month, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will begin its investigation into the civil unrest that occurred in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July to uncover what caused the riots and determine the socio-economic and spatial factors that may have played role.
For eight days in July, South Africa witnessed looting, damage to property and violence that claimed the lives of more than 300 people in both provinces.

29 October 2021

The South African Human Rights Commission will start its probe into the unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal on 15 November.

The hearings are expected to last until 3 December.
The hearings will mark the start of the investigation into the causes of the unrest in the two provinces, that lead to the deaths of more than 330 people and billions of rands lost.
29 October 2021

The South African Human Rights Commission lamented the lack of improvement in some areas of health care in the Eastern Cape despite directives issued three years ago.

The Commission held its second monthly media briefing on Friday, to highlight issues of focus for the SAHRC.
Chairperson, Bongani Majola, said members of the Commission visited the Eastern Cape with the lowering of the Disaster Risk Level to Level 1, as a follow-up to a visit in 2018 when concerns were raised about staff shortages and the poor or inadequate emergency medical services, among others.
27 October 2021

Freshwater sources in Tshwane, including the Hennops river and Roodeplaat dam, are being polluted with untreated and partially treated sewage and sludge with devastating effects because of a failure to maintain wastewater treatment works in Pretoria.
These were the findings released by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) following an inquiry into the state of wastewater treatment works in the City of Tshwane.
26 October 2021

Freshwater sources in Tshwane, including the Hennops River and Roodeplaat Dam, are being polluted with untreated and partially treated sewage and sludge with devastating effects because of a failure to maintain wastewater treatment works in Pretoria.

These were the findings released by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) following an inquiry into the state of wastewater treatment works in the City of Tshwane.
26 October 2021

Pretoria - The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in Limpopo has put the blame on Premier Stanley Mthabatha’s office for the lack of water in the province.
21 October 2021

DURBAN - THE THE South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has threatened to take the Msunduzi Municipality back to court over its failure to submit a proper action plan for the New England Road landfill site that will ensure it is no longer a threat to communities.

20 October 2021

THE SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC has thrown its weight behind Caster Semenya in her testosterone fight against World Athletics and the Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS , who dismissed her application to have her ban lifted. The World Athletics body barred the Limpopo athlete from participating in 800m and 1500m distances, "unless she lowers her testosterone levels" by taking hormone suppressing medication. The international athletics body is in the process of introducing a testosterone limit of "five nanomoles per litre" for athletes competing in international events.
20 October 2021

Residents complain about noise pollution Unity Fellowship Church in Midway, Soweto THULANI MBELE. Church calls in HRC over decadelong dispute By Tarddso Makhetha A Soweto church embroiled in a longstanding dispute with the City of Johannesburg over noise pollution has approached the SA Human Rights Commission to mediate. Yesterday, the HRC visited Unity Fellowship Church in Midway, Soweto, which has been reported to the city for contravention of bylaws by local residents. The church on the border of an industrial area and a residential area has had runins with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department JMPD due to alleged noncompliance with noise levels.


In February, the church's leaders were arrested after congregants clashed with metro police officers who tried to shut it after neighbours complained about intolerable noise coming from its premises and contravention of lockdown regulations. As a result, a series of court applications have been lodged both by the city and the church over the enforcement of bylaws. Last week, Pastor Mpfariseni Mukhuba and her husband, Dr Theophilus Mukhuba, approached the commission to help mediate their disputes with the city. Mukhuba yesterday told the commission's provincial head Buang Jones of their decadelong struggles with the city. "We took the matter to the commission because we are concerned that since the shootings happened in February, we were violated and have experienced police brutality. We obtained a court order against JMPD in 2015 and they still came and attacked us while we worshipped," Mukhuba told Sowetan. Jones said the commission hoped it could mediate before the matter escalates. "The thing about courts is that the winner takes all and there are no compromises. We received the church's complaint and decided to meet so that we can determine how we can resolve this issue in a manner beneficial to both parties." Residents in the area said they had grown tired of complaining about the unbearable noise from the church. Nkosana Mahlangu said: "After February, the church stopped making a lot of noise but it started again a few months ago. We just want this matter to be resolved so that we can live in peace."

Rhirandzu Maluleke said: "There are many churches that exist in some communities and none of them make life hard for residents around them. This church needs to be relocated because we can't live like this." JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said they have been experiencing a problem with the church for the past decade about noise pollution complaints. "Its hard to sum up the number of times that officers have to go there and request the church to lower their noise because residents in the area are complaining."

Source: Sowetan
20 October 2021

THE SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC has filed its submission as thirdparty intervener before the European Court of Human Rights ECtHR in the matter of Semenya v Switzerland. Caster Semenya is a South African middledistance runner and winner of two Olympic gold medals and three World Championships in the women's 800 metres. The commission said this was the first time it had involved itself in human rights litigation in an international forum.

20 October 2021

Lack of basic service delivery remains a thorn for many communities across the country and not being able to access clean, healthy water since 2005 has really disheartened the residents of Hammanskraal.
20 Oct 2021

The South African Human Rights Commission has submitted itself as a ‘third-party intervener’ in the middle-distance athlete's legal case at the European Court of Human Rights.

18 October 2021

Racist, sexist, tribalist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and ableist advertisements will be under the spotlight. Picture: Wikimedia Commons The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will be convening to look into allegations of racial discrimination within the advertising industry.
18 October 2021

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has announced that it expects to convene an inquiry into allegations of racial discrimination within the advertising industry next year. The inquiry is expected to sit during the last week of February 2022. According to the SAHRC, the inquiry comes on the back of the fighting and publication of advertisements that have caused uproar from within the industry and society because of racist undertones. 

15 October 2021

MAKHUDUTHAMAGA – The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has announced that it would submit further evidence to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on systematic violations of basic rights to have access to water in Sekhukhune. The DA said last week that it would write to the SAHRC to submit evidence of systematic violations of the right to access water in Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality.
15 October 2021

The SA Human Rights Commission says there have been “a few advertisements which have been indicative of racism and have evoked much criticism of the industry and their clients”.
8 October 2021

It lists infringements and evidence of poor basic service delivery, according to local lawyer, Yvette Labuschagne Attorneys and Conveyancers.

“In the South African Constitution it is stated the municipality must perform the following functions: electricity and gas reticulation, municipal planning, stormwater management systems, water and sanitation services limited to portable water supply systems and domestic water waste and sewerage disposal systems, municipal roads, refuse removal, refuse dumps and solid waste removal and fire fighting and emergency services. We found irrefutable proof that these basic services are not provided,” said Labuschagne.

7 October 2021

Ties between the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC), have been formalised and strengthened after the two entities signed a memorandum of understanding for the promotion, advocacy and protection of the human rights of asylum-seekers, refugees, internally displaced people and stateless persons living in the country.

About us

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.

27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein

011 877 3600 (Switchboard)