The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is doing very little to help the poor access their rights, the ad hoc committee on the review of Chapter Nine institutions heard on Tuesday.
Speaking during the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s submission to the committee, Deputy Justice Minister Johnny de Lange said the SAHRC has failed to fulfil its mandate.
”The original idea was that the commission would give service to marginalised people to help them exercise their rights. Only a small percentage of their budget is being utilised for helping the poor,” he said.
De Lange said the SAHRC has instead shifted its focus to high-profile cases.
”One such example is the investigation on racism in the media,” he said.
The committee is assessing all Chapter Nine institutions to determine whether they are still relevant.
These institutions are intended to support constitutional democracy and are named after the section of the Constitution that established them.
They also include the Public Protector; the Commission on Gender Equality; the Electoral Commission; the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities; and the Auditor General.
The SAHRC and the Public Protector, both of which fall under the Justice Department, have already appeared before the committee.
During their appearance most of the Chapter Nine institutions attributed their lack of effectiveness to the limited interaction between them and Parliament’s portfolio committees, and called for a special parliamentary committee on Chapter Nine institutions to be set up.
De Lange disagreed, saying Parliament does not have the resources and capacity to set up such a structure.
He said there is a need to introduce legislation that will help hold Chapter Nine institutions accountable. — Sapa