Human Rights

Mitchells Plain marches against violence

About 150 people from Mitchells Plain, supported by many organisations, marched against gender-based violence to start the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign.

Ashraf Hendricks

News | 25 November 2015

Audit finds serious problems at Wolwerivier. But will City listen?

Overcrowding, high unemployment rates and fire safety are just some of the concerns raised by a social audit of Wolwerivier, a low-cost housing project north of Cape Town.

Barbara Maregele

News | 24 November 2015

The rabbi, the president and the Palestinians

On 23 November, Geoff Sifrin's book Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris – How humanity, morality and humour helped lead a community was launched at the Great Synagogue in Johannesburg. Judge Edwin Cameron delivered this speech. He addressed Harris's commitment to reaching out across the divides in the South African Jewish community as well as perhaps the most vexing question facing many Jews: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Edwin Cameron

Opinion | 24 November 2015

National minimum wage part one: Comparing South Africa to other countries

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is hosting a social dialogue between business, labour and other constituencies over setting a national minimum wage (NMW). Minimum wages currently vary from sector to sector. A NMW would set a national wage floor applying to all workers irrespective of existing collective agreements and sectoral wage determinations. What level should the NMW be? This is the first of a three part series by two University of Cape Town professors.

Nicoli Nattrass and Jeremy Seekings

Analysis | 24 November 2015

Report details “state of crisis” in schools for visually impaired children

Schools for the visually impaired are in such a "state of crisis" that their students suffer "fundamental impairment of their human dignity”. This is according to SECTION27’s Left in the Dark report, which was released today, detailing extensive research into the conditions in 22 schools for the visually impaired.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 18 November 2015

Time to demand equal rights for blind people

Being blind or visually impaired means many things in life are simply much more difficult than what they are for other people. Some of these things we can do something about, others we can’t. There are two fundamentally different ways for society and governments to respond to this unpleasant reality. The one option is pity and non-integration - the other is to forget about pity and to take practical steps to make things as equal as possible so that blind people can integrate into society.

Marcus Low

Opinion | 18 November 2015

The damning evidence against Phiyega and SAPS leadership

Suspended Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega has had a difficult year. Suspended by President Jacob Zuma following the Farlam Commission report which called for an investigation into her fitness to hold office for among other things tampering with evidence and lying, she now faces significant findings against her from an inquiry by the Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko.

Craig Oosthuizen and Zackie Achmat

Analysis | 13 November 2015

Fees should not fall for all

Free higher education for all privileges the rich, argues Nico Cloete of the Centre for Higher Education Trust (CHET).

Nico Cloete

Analysis | 8 November 2015

“You are a bully” students tell principal

Students at Iqhayiya Secondary School in Khayelitsha claim that they are subjected to corporal punishment, have to pay school fees when they are a no fee school and are unable to be members of organisations such as Equal Education.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 6 November 2015