The Human Rights and Democracy Awards returned on Friday night after a one-year hiatus. Last year’s awards were cancelled as the Independent Electoral Commission — which co-sponsors the awards with the Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Gender Equality — was preparing for the elections.
The awards recognise people who have contributed to the upliftment of human rights and democracy in South Africa, and some of this year’s awards appear to have an historical flavour.
The newly created Lifetime Achievement Award, for example, encompasses human rights, electoral democracy and gender and will be awarded to the late Oliver Tambo for the role he played in the struggle for liberation and equality as leader of the African National Congress.
The Human Rights Award for individuals will be given to veteran freedom fighter Ruth Mompati, who worked for the legal firm Mandela and Tambo in the 1950s, and was an organiser of the women’s march of 1956. The award for organisations will go to Catholic Justice for Peace, an NGO that educates people in the North West province about human rights and democracy.
The Electoral Democracy Award for organisations will be awarded to the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA), which provides independent administration and consulting in electoral democracy and conflict management. The individual award goes to Eddie Makue, who has served electoral commissions across the continent.
The Gender Equality Award for organisations will be jointly awarded to People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa) and the University of the Western Cape Gender Project, while the individual award is shared by Dudu Mlambo, who is involved in HIV/Aids education for women in KwaZulu-Natal, and, posthumously to the activist, Helen Joseph.
The Duma Nokwe Award, which recognises individuals who have contributed to the advancement of human rights through the practice of law will be awarded to advocate George Bizos. Bizos defended the treason trialists and also accommodated Nokwe in his chambers when he qualified as the first African advocate in 1956.